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Psychic feeling, empathy, or emotion, also known as emotive telepathy , emotional transfer , or clairempathy, is often erroneously referred to simply as 'empathy,' which is a gross underestimation of true clairempathic psychic ability. Psychics and mediums with this affective perception preference essentially function as emotional surrogates and empathic polygraphs , as we actively embody the feelings, mood states, motivations, and emotions of others. Clairempathy is not ‘normal' empathy, much less mere sympathy. In the context of authentic psychic perception there is a distinct difference between being empathetic towards others, as opposed to metaphysically perceiving and embodying empathic psychic impressions. EMPATHETIC VERSUS EMPATHIC Ordinary empathy is the ability to observe, understand, and sympathize with the mental and emotional states of other people. According to standard scientific models, empathy has three core traits: The first is the ability to recognize emotions in others based on various verbal and non-verbal communication cues, such as tone of voice, facial expression, and body language. The second is the ability for perspective taking; to cognitively understand the other person’s mental-emotional state and place yourself ‘in their shoes.’ The third is the capacity for sincere compassion and sympathy in response to the pain and suffering of others, or to ‘feel for them.’ Empathy is a psychosocial skill or trait that all people possess, although not necessarily automatically. Mentally healthy people typically have healthy levels of empathy, especially if they have been appropriately socialized growing up. [1] However, people possess varying levels of empathy, as opposed to ‘apathy’ (lack of interest or caring), based on a variety of factors. [2] Most of us are therefore to some extent empathetic towards others and can identify, understand, and sympathize with the feelings and emotional experiences of others. This is known as a vicarious experience — it is an empathetic response to the observation of emotions in others. Vicarious empathy in response to social cues is quite common in the general population and an important basis for social behavior and interaction. [3] In fact, it is so integral to prosocial behavior and our coexistence that a lack of empathy has been shown to cause severe psychological and social dysfunction, including psychopathy [4] and pathological narcissism. [ 5] While ordinary empathy involves affective (emotional), and cognitive (thought) processes based on observation, logical thinking, perspective-taking, reasoning, and an appropriate emotional response, the experiences of the clairempath or ‘psychic empath,’ who has an unusual capacity for shared emotion and affective embodiment is an entirely different matter. Clairempathy is the empathic embodiment of energy data that has no rational, logical, or subjective origin or explanation. It is essentially a shared awareness of another sentient being's feelings, emotions, mood states, and motivations, instead of a mere understanding or observation it. Empathic psychic impressions are spontaneous and visceral — it is typically a strong emotional experience without any logic, reason, or personal origin. Just like the claircognizant ‘knows,’ the clairvoyant ‘sees,' and the clairaudient ‘hears,’ the clairempath feels . Clairempathic perceptions are not the empath’s personal emotions, nor are they cognitive observations or interpretations of another person’s emotional state. Clairempaths also do not necessarily sympathize or ‘feel with’ the other person. For example, I can feel someone else’s anxiety or guilt when they are telling a lie, but that does not mean I pity them. I simply ‘feel’ what they are feeling emotionally in that moment, whether I sympathize with them, or not. If someone ahead of me in a slow supermarket line is becoming extremely impatient and angry, without outwardly showing it, I can empathically ‘feel’ her rage (and most likely also perceive a clairsomatic ‘sensation’ of her heart rate and blood pressure rising.) If I choose to pay further attention, I might also perceive claircognitive information about the circumstances in her life that may be causing her to feel so intolerant and irritable. But this does not automatically imply I will personally identify with her emotions (empathy), or feel sorry for her (sympathy). NONLOCAL EMOTION The clairempath actively perceives or embodies the emotions, motivations, and mood states of others. We do not merely observe what others may be feeling, we actually ‘feel’ it ourselves, as if it were our own feelings — sometimes not even immediately knowing whose feelings they might be. Psychic empathy is therefore a form of transpersonal empathy . It is metaphysical and nonsensory in origins. It does not rely on the clairempath observing any sensory clues, or verbal and non-verbal communication. In fact, the clairempath does not even have to see, or physically be in the same place as the other person to perceive these feeling impressions. I constantly embody the feelings of others without needing to know anything about them, or having direct contact or interaction with them. In fact, I can perceive the feelings of people on the other side of the planet. Just like claircognitive or ‘sapient’ energy data is nonlocal and omnipresent in the universal field of consciousness, so too is clairempathic or ‘sentient’ energy data. AFFECTIVE PSI The emotive or affective aspects of psychic phenomena seldom receive much attention in parapsychology and psi research. This lack of interest is probably another consequence of the orthodox Newtonian approach to psychic research. It is obviously simpler to verify empirical facts in a laboratory, rather than ‘ineffable feelings.’ Researcher Christine Hardy however reports some psi research does point to the significant role of emotion or affect in psychic phenomena, instead of it purely consisting of mental (mind-brain) content. Spontaneous psi experiences are often triggered by emotionally charged events; this could, of course, be due to a form of selective reporting, but at least some investigations of target emotionality and psi in telepathy tests suggest otherwise. [6] Hardy cites experimental ganzfeld and telepathy data that finds “emotionally and / or sensorially rich targets seem to be more conducive to psi than highly abstract or neutral ones,” [7] and “affective relationships between sender and receiver seem to enhance success in telepathy tasks.” [8] She also adds that this finding is consistent with what has been generally observed in spontaneous cases of psi. [9] EMOTIONAL CONTAGION A psychological phenomenon related to clairempathy, that has been studied more extensively, is the phenomenon of ‘emotional contagion,’ in which one person's emotions can directly trigger similar emotions in others. It is an instantaneous and unconscious process by which emotional states or moods literally spread like ‘social viruses.’ For example, a 2012 study finds depression can be highly contagious among teenagers within a certain social group. “Over time, adolescents' depressive symptoms increasingly converged toward the average levels of their peers.” [10] Research further shows that we seem to ‘synchronize our feelings’ with each other in social settings and that feeling strong emotions can make people’s brains ‘tick together.’ [11] CRISIS EMPATHY Clairempathy is also observed in the psi phenomenon of crisis impression . A crisis impression is a sudden psychic awareness that another person is in extreme danger, or worse, that they have died. A typical crisis impression is usually an inexplicable ‘shift in mood’ at the time of a loved one’s death — to the extent that the subject is overcome with sadness or despair, or conversely, experience elation or a profound sense of inner peace. Crisis impressions are also characterized by an abrupt change in the person’s emotional or mood state that is not caused any apparent external ‘trigger,’ and these feelings always coincide with an unreported event or death involving a loved one, which the perceiver at the time is not yet aware of. [12] MASS HYSTERIA An extreme example of clairempathy is the unusual phenomenon known as mass psychogenic illness or ‘mass hysteria.’ It is a well-documented psychosocial phenomenon in which a group of people or a crowd, or an entire community, experience a spontaneous outbreak of shared psycho-physiological distress. One of the more bizarre cases is the Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg, France. Hundreds of frenzied people spontaneously began to dance in the streets, leading to several deaths due to heart failure, stroke, and exhaustion. [13] Another documented case is the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962, in which villagers in several neighboring communities engaged in unstoppable laughter for months, after a group of students at a boarding school started the initial giggling. The villagers could not stop laughing, and some even experienced pain, fainting, skin rashes, bouts of crying, and respiratory problems. [14] Similar ‘mass hysteria’ outbreaks have been documented in schools, workplaces, and communities all over the world. Science currently has no conclusive explanation for this phenomenon of collective obsessional behavior, or so-called ‘epidemics of the mind.’ [15] A recent example has been the widespread hoarding of toilet paper and other essentials, including the emotional outbursts of manic buyers fighting over these ‘coveted’ items in stores, with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. [16] Psychologist Samah Khaled Zahran believes the origins of these phenomena may be found in the human biofield , or human energy field (aura), also known as the morphic field . He proposes the human biofield serves as an energy umbrella or atmosphere that represents human physical and psychological status that connects us to our surroundings and helps us to adapt to our environment. [17] A 2014 cross-disciplinary study confirms the hypothesises that emotional states generate corresponding metabolic bio-magnetic fields that radiate in patterns reflecting these emotional states, and that these energy fields can be shared in a crowd through paramagnetic sensitivity that may be proportional to crowd numbers. [18] EMPATHIC MEDIUMSHIP When I do mediumship readings, I often tell clients that the dearly departed no longer feel the ‘petty’ human emotions we so often indulge in, but they certainly make me ‘feel’ these emotions while I am channeling. The empathic energy data of the deceased is in my experience always loving, compassionate, peaceful, and unmistakably selfless. It is never hateful, angry, vengeful, jealous, remorseful, or even apologetic — but I do experience such negative emotions when I channel the akashic information of the deceased person. The energy data of the dearly departed never ‘tells’ me they are angry or sad (because they are indeed not). Instead, their energy essentially causes me to feel angry or sad ‘on their behalf’ as the ‘medium.’ Some clients, who have been victims of family trauma or abuse, typically do not care much for this, nor do they wish to understand how everyone on the other side can always just be so ‘pollyanna’ happy and positive. Instead, they want to know that their parent or grandparent is truly sorry, or that their sibling or child is sincerely begging for their forgiveness. Experiencing such emotive impressions can therefore be exceptionally healing for the sitter. But to meaningfully convey this information from the akasha, I need to function as a psychic surrogate or ‘channel,’ and actually ‘feel’ the emotional significance of what is being channeled. SENTIENT SHAPESHIFTING It is important to note clairempathy is not limited only to humans. Author Dawn Baumann Brunke, for example, reveals how through the art of shapeshifting or therianthropy (moving in and out of shared awareness with other sentient beings) one can experience different forms of consciousness ‘through the eyes’ of other beings, and integrate these experiences into a greater awareness of our own being. [19] Excerpt from The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception . © 2022 Anthon St. Maarten REFERENCES [1] Wagers, K. B. & Kiel, E. J. (2019). The Influence Of Parenting And Temperament On Empathy Development In Toddlers. Journal Of Family Psychology. [2] Lockwood, P.L. et al. (2017) Individual Differences In Empathy Are Associated With Apathy-Motivation. Scientific Reports. [3] Rothen N. & Meier B. (2013). Why Vicarious Experience Is Not An Instance Of Synesthesia. Frontiers In Human Neuroscience. [4] Lysaker, P.H. et.al. (2014). Social Cognition And Metacognition In Schizophrenia. Academic Press. [5] Urbonaviciute, G. & Hepper, E. G. (2020). When Is Narcissism Associated With Low Empathy? A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal Of Research In Personality. [6] Christine, H. (2000). Psi As A Multilevel Process: Semantic Fields Theory. The Journal Of Parapsychology. [7] Bierman, D. (1995). The Amsterdam Ganzfeld Series: Target Clip Emotionality, Effect Sizes And Openness. The Parapsychological Association. [8] Broughton, R. & Alexander, C. (1997). Autoganzfeld: An Attempted Replication Of The PRL Ganzfeld Research. Journal Of Parapsychology. [9] Schouten, S. (1982). Analysing Spontaneous Cases: A Replication Based On The Rhine Collection. European Journal Of Parapsychology. [10] Kiuru, N. Et.Al. (2012). Is Depression Contagious? A Test Of Alternative Peer Socialization Mechanisms Of Depressive Symptoms In Adolescent Peer Networks. Journal Of Adolescent Health. [11] Nummenmaa, L. et.al. (2012). Emotions Promote Social Interaction By Synchronizing Brain Activity Across Individuals. National Academy of Sciences. [12] Stevenson, I. (1970). Telepathic Impressions: A Review and Report of Thirty-five New Cases. American Society for Psychical Research. University Press of Virginia. [13] Bauer, P. (2020). Dancing Plague Of 1518. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica.com. [14] Rankin, A. M. & Philip, P. J. (1963). An Epidemic Of Laughing In The Bukoba District Of Tanganyika. Central African Journal Of Medicine. [15] Balaratnasingam S. & Janca, A. (2006). Mass Hysteria Revisited. Current Opinion in Psychiatry Journal. [16] Bagus, P. et.al. (2021). COVID-19 And The Political Economy Of Mass Hysteria. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. [17] Zahran S.K. (2019) Human Bio-field and Psychical Sensitivity. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry. [18] McDonnell, A. (2014). The Sixth Sense-Emotional Contagion; Review Of Biophysical Mechanisms Influencing Information Transfer In Groups. Journal Of Behavioral And Brain Science. [19] Baumann Brunke, D. (2008). Shapeshifting With Our Animal Companions: Connecting With The Spiritual Awareness Of All Life. Bear & Company. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

Psychic knowing, claircognition, or claircognizance , is arguably the most undervalued psychic perception preference, yet probably the most prevalent. These psychic ‘thought’ perceptions may seem mundane, even unglamorous, at first glance, but it is in fact a profound form of psychic perception that plays a much more significant role in everyday life than is commonly understood. Claircognizance is the perception of spontaneous thought impressions, or the psychic ‘knowing’ of factual information and cognitive insights regarding the past, present and future. The claircognizant spontaneously ‘knows’ things without a rational explanation for how we know it. We simply know things in the same way people instinctively know which direction to open and close a water faucet, for example, without ever having been shown how to do it. We just somehow know . Psi researchers refer to claircognition as the "anomalous appearance or acquisition of non-inferential information." [1] Claircognizance is also called superconscious telepathy or telepathic cognition [2] , which essentially means it is the perception of psi from the ‘superconscious’ (note: it is not the telepathic interaction or transfer of thoughts between two minds). Author David Brown describes superconscious telepathy as "the ability to access the collective wisdom of the human race." [3] In other words, it is ‘akashic telepathy.’ The term claircognizance is a neologism derived from French clair in ‘clairvoyance,’ meaning ‘clear,’ and connaissance meaning ‘recognition, knowledge, wisdom.’ In psychology and neuroscience ‘cognition’ refers to the mental processes of knowing, understanding, and acquiring knowledge. Claircognitive psychic impressions are therefore spontaneous psychic knowings, understandings and recognitions that are not the result of logical deduction, intellectual reasoning, or direct observation, but instead spontaneous mental ‘flashes’ of nonlocal, omniscient knowledge, insight or wisdom. The claircognizant psychic or medium consciously perceives factual and sagacious (wisdom) information that is otherwise unconscious, or has spontaneous understanding of a question, problem, or pressing issue. It includes an infinite range of ‘cognitions’ perceived as thoughts, ideas, insights, factual knowledge, and at times uncanny answers and solutions to some of life’s most complex challenges and problems. In pop culture claircognizance is sometimes misconceived as being a ‘subtype’ of clairsentience, clairempathy, or clairintuition, but feeling a presentiment (emotion) or having a premonition (foreboding ) is not the cognitive knowing , recognizing, or understanding of something. Parapsychology, on the other hand, traditionally views claircognizant perception as a form of telepathy, ‘mind-reading,’ or ‘thought transference,’ but claircognizant psychics and mediums know from experience that this simplistic, mechanical notion of knowledge ‘transmission’ or ‘transfer’ does not accurately reflect true claircognitive perception. In fact, the true source of psychic ‘knowings’ is numinous, supernatural, transcendental, or divine . It originates from the spirit realm, the universal consciousness, the akasha. At times, it can be dramatic, in the form of amazing ‘aha’ epiphanies or unexpected ‘light bulb’ moments , but it can also be a simple, subtle knowing what someone is about to say, or knowing accurate facts about strangers. The cognitive information I typically perceive in a reading cannot possibly come solely from the minds of other people, much less my own mind. My typical experience of claircognizance is that it feels like a recalling of my own memories and personal knowledge, but the information I perceive is mostly novel or unfamiliar. At times, it can be dramatic, in the form of amazing ‘aha’ epiphanies or unexpected ‘light bulb’ moments, but it can also be a simple, subtle knowing what someone is about to say, or knowing accurate facts about strangers. It often happens that I will state to a new client certain factual information about themselves, or their life, or the people around them, while they are gasping with surprise. “What? Oh my! How did you know that!?” Sometimes they are truly perplexed, even distressed. It puzzles them how it is possible for me to know something so deeply private about them — things that often nobody else in their life knows. At times, some are downright suspicious, especially the psychic newbies who have never had a reading before. Yes, indeed, sometimes a psychic or medium can actually be ‘too psychic’ for some people’s liking! It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by author Neil Gaiman: “Agnes was the worst prophet that's ever existed. Because she was always right." [4] After almost two decades of doing professional channeling, I still find these surprised reactions a little awkward. I am not always sure how to respond? In the early years, I often used to remain clumsily silent, because I honestly had no idea what to say. These days, I just dryly reply, “Uhm, is this not why you decided to consult with me…because I know things?” My discomfort in these moments probably stems from those unpleasant childhood experiences when I blurted out people’s embarrassing secrets, often spilling the beans at the most inappropriate moments — about private matters nobody was supposed to know about. This repeatedly landed me in trouble, and it to this day it still does. However, these days I am no longer reprimanded or punished by adults, but claircognizance continues to complicate my personal relationships and social life. For example, it is the basis of the annoying propensity I have to constantly want to finish other people’s sentences for them (because I already know what they are planning to say). While claircognizance is sometimes a source of amusement in my professional practice, it tends to be problematic in my personal life. It is not always ideal to know certain things you are not supposed to know. I have lost several friends over the years for ‘knowing’ certain things and being too honest and direct about it. I have however received a few sincere apologies from offended parties after the fact (sometimes many years later). “You were right after all,” they will say. “I wish I’d listened to you back then, but I was in denial and blind to the truth.” I have also received similar feedback from clients over the years. I met Anthon almost 2 years ago during a very hard time of my life. I had talked to three more psychics until I talked to him. He said exactly opposite things that the rest of the psychics had said to me. I was disappointed, and did not believe what he said, since he was not telling me what I wanted to hear. I wish I listened to him. [5] I am also known among some friends and long-time clients by a nickname I acquired due to my penchant for claircognizant 'straight-talk.’ When I complained to a friend years ago about a mutual acquaintance who was offended by my telling them certain truths they did not wish to hear, his sardonic reaction was simply: “Well, maybe it’s time you accept the fact that you are the ‘soothsayer of the tribe,’ and that it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.” DIVINE INSPIRATION One of the significant ways that claircognizance or so-called ‘anomalous cognition’ manifests for many people is divine inspiration . Many artists, philosophers, scientists, and inventors through the ages have attributed their ideas and innovations to a ‘flash’ of insight, or a ‘spark’ of inspiration. The knowings and insights of claircognizant psychics and mediums are channeled from the same omniscient source, namely the superconscious, universal consciousness, or the akasha. In fact, I believe all forms of profound inspiration and creativity, be it artistic, scientific, technological, mystical, or prophetic, are always the result of a spontaneous or intentional channeling of nonlocal energy data. I believe these divine or numinous inspirations are the foundation for all exceptional human creativity, artistic ideas, technological innovation, and scientific advancement. Computer scientist Rafael Espericueta agrees, "spiritual epiphanies inspire the evolution of science." [6] All forms of profound inspiration and creativity , be it artistic, scientific, technological, mystical, or prophetic, are always the result of a spontaneous or intentional channeling of nonlocal energy data. In Greek mythology the process of divine inspiration is said to be the work of inspirational goddesses known as the ‘muses,’ but the phenomenon is even better described by the words of famous composer, Johannes Brahms, who says, "the powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspirations, is the same power that enabled Jesus to do his miracles." [7] It is also reminiscent of French composer Charles-François Gounod who when asked how he came up with all his beautiful melodies, simply replies: “God sends me down some of his angels and they whisper sweet melodies in my ear." [8] In a conversation with Engelbert Humperdinck in 1880, the composer Richard Wagner says, “An atheistic upbringing is fatal. No atheist has ever created anything of great and lasting value." [9] Science has many theories about the nature of the so-called eureka effect (also known as the ‘aha! moment’) but what is not commonly considered is the possibility that the spontaneous insight that inspired the famous Greek physicist, Archimedes, to shout, “Eureka! Eureka!' (I found it! I found it!) is not much different from the everyday ‘anomalous cognitions’ that claircognizant psychics and mediums experience. Just like Archimedes, the claircognizant also perceives sudden insights and inexplicable answers to everyday questions. The idea of divine inspiration has become less fashionable since the advent of modern science and a material worldview, but it does not make the concept any less bona fide for those of us who perceive these cognitive miracles in our everyday channelings or readings. Ironically, Isaac Newton, arguably the most central figure in the emergence of modern materialist science, wrote about more than only science and mathematics. Author John Chambers reveals Newton secretly ventured into the realms of alchemy, religion, spirituality, and prophecy. He even searched for lost civilizations like Atlantis and predicted an Apocalypse in the year 2060. [10] According to Sarah Dry, Newton even conducted a forensic analysis of the Bible, in which he attempted to decode its divine prophecies. She reports that the mystical aspects of Newton’s work are lesser-known today because his descendants preferred to suppress his so-called ‘heretical’ papers after his death (about ten million words, or enough to fill about 150 average length novels) thus keeping it hidden from public awareness for a century. [11] It is also claimed that the famous physicist Albert Einstein owned a copy of The Secret Doctrine (1888) by Helena Blavatsky, which he kept on his desk at all times. It is even rumored that he advised a fellow physicist to get a copy and “dip into it when he’s handicapped by some problem." [12] Blavatsky is a Russian philosopher and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society. Her book is said to reconcile ancient eastern wisdom with modern science. Max Heindel says it is necessary for us to realize that Madame Blavatsky was, as she herself often expressed it, only the compiler of her books. Behind her stood the real teachers, the guardians of the Secret Wisdom of the ages, who taught her all the occult lore which she transmitted in her writings. [13] Gary Starkweather, the inventor of the laser printer, also credits his success to divine inspiration. I believe that to a great extent, the creativity we possess is because the Creator put it there. God put things [in us] as tool developers and creative individuals and I think it has to please him when He sees us use those faculties to make something new. [ 14] According to author Warren M. Mueller the popular assumption is that human thoughts originate in the brain, but where exactly this occurs in the brain "continues to defy scientific methods to quantify this." Perhaps this is because human thoughts originate outside the body. The brain does not create our thoughts, but rather processes them and tries to adapt them to our ability to understand and function. Thoughts enter our brain from a source that is outside of our physical body and, only when they reach the brain, does it begin to act and decipher them. [15] Satish Kumar, former monk, and environmental activist, writes that “science and spirituality make a great partnership.” If those engaged in science spend some time in the silence of their own selves, inspiration will come and lead them to the answers for which they seek. A sense of unmanifested wonder and curiosity, and a sense of intuition and inspiration exist before there is empirical knowledge through experiments, or evidence and proof to create a scientific hypothesis and a theory. Dismissing that unmanifest intuition or inspiration, as some materialist scientists do, is a grave folly. [16] Psi researcher Helané Wahbeh proposes channeling or ‘the process of revealing information and energy not limited by our conventional notions of space and time,’ is quite common in society. [17] I think of channeling as being like a spectrum. On the subtler side, people experience clairempathy, claircognizance, lucid dreaming, and telepathy. Somewhere toward the middle are precognition and mediumship. And at the far end of the spectrum are rarer experiences like trance channeling, geomancy, psychic healing, pyrokinesis, and levitation. [18] She cites a study done by the Institute of Noetic Sciences that surveyed, among others, scientists, engineers, and the general public about their channeling experiences. The survey finds that as much as 90% of participants had at least one channeling experience in their lifetime. [19] A 1976 paper on spirit possession, trance channeling and spirit mediumship, further finds such channeling-related beliefs to exist in 74% of a sample of 488 societies in all parts of the world. These beliefs are often also associated with ritualized altered states of consciousness. [20] Wahbeh further cites a survey among psychic channelers in which they were asked what they perceive to be the source of their channeled information. It finds that 56% of the channelers surveyed attribute their channeled information to the higher self; 50% say it comes from the universal mind; and 47% believe that the source is the unconscious mind. Some participants also report channeling spirits, deities, extra-terrestrials, or other spirit entities. [21] RETROCOGNITION & PRECOGNITION Two noteworthy forms of claircognizance are retrocognition and precognition , or psychic knowledge regarding the past and the future. Retrocognition, also called post-cognition, hindsight , or past evocation , is the perception of facts and knowledge of past events not learned, inferred, or logically deduced by the psychic or medium. These psychic impressions are often a sage (wise) discernment of past events. The retrocognizant psychic or medium ‘knows’ or ‘recognizes’ things that have happened to you, without you telling them those details of your past. Retrocognition does not only relate to our current lifetime, but is also perceived as past life memories. Precognition or prescience is the prophetic, predictive, or ‘advance knowing’ of future events. It is foreknowledge that is cognitive, cerebral, intellectual. The term precognition is from Latin praecognitio , based on cognoscere ‘to know.’ A simple example is knowing beforehand that someone is going to call you, and then the phone rings and it is the person you expected. Precognition is mistakenly called ‘future sight’ or ‘prophetic vision’ by some, and sometimes also confused with clairvoyance. Although claircognitive knowing can indeed be accompanied by visions, presentiments, or premonitions, the claircognizant does not always ‘see’ or ‘feel’ or ‘sense’ a future event. Instead, we might only know what will happen, why it will happen, and so on. Prescience is a more precise, delineated term that specifically means foreknowledge or ‘knowledge of events before they take place.’ The term precognition is mostly used in the field of parapsychology, but seldom heard in the psychic community. Psi researchers define precognition as “the ability to obtain information about a future event, unknowable through inference alone, before the event actually occurs." [22] Parapsychology, however, does not differentiate between the sapient and sentient aspects of the different forms of predictive psychic perception. All types of ‘future psi’ are merely referred to as ‘precognition,’ regardless of it being clairempathic, clairvoyant, or clairintuitive instead. For example, presentiment or ‘pre-feeling,’ is simply described as an ‘unconscious form of precognition.’ [23] To distinguish more clearly between the sapient and sentient qualities of true psychic perception, I therefore prefer the old-school term prescience in the context of claircognizance, instead of the psi notion of ‘precognition.’ Prescience is a more precise, delineated term that specifically means foreknowledge or ‘knowledge of events before they take place.’ Prescience is from Latin praescientia meaning "foreknowledge," and praescire ‘to know in advance," with prae meaning ‘before’ and scire ‘to know.’ According to researcher Robert Rosenberg, precognition or prescience holds a special place among psi phenomena. It is perhaps the most metaphysically offensive of rogue phenomena. In the past 130 years, a number of thoughtful investigators, none of them either naïve or foolish, have studied a growing collection of incidents…[and] have repeatedly come to the generally reluctant conclusion that true precognition (or something identical to it with a different name) exists. [24] Parapsychologist Andrew MacKenzie agrees, “I am surprised that the strength of the evidence for precognition in its various forms in daily life is not generally realized.” [25] Psi researcher Robert Rosenberg concludes that the empirical evidence for precognition is undeniable. “Unless we ignore it, pretend it does not exist, it demands our attention.” [26] Excerpt from The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception . © 2022 Anthon St. Maarten REFERENCES [1] Rosenberg, R. (2016). Precognition. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [2] Broad, C. D. (1953), Religion, Philosophy and Psychical Research. Routledge & Kegan Paul. [3] Brown, D. K. (2016). Brain-Storm: When The Mind Becomes The Ultimate Weapon. Lulu.com [4] Pratchett, T. & Gaiman, N. (2006). Good Omens: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies Of Agnes Nutter, Witch. William Morrow. [5] Idil, A. January 16, 2016. BestPsychicDirectory.com [6] Espericueta, R. (2020) Science and Spirituality – Complementary or Contradictory? LinkedIn.com [7] James-Griffiths, P. (2016) Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers. ChristianHeritageEdinburgh.org.uk. [8] Harding, J. (1973). Gounod. Stein [9] Abell, A.M. (1995). Talks With Great Composers. Spiritualist Press. [10] Chambers, J. (2018). The Metaphysical World of Isaac Newton: Alchemy, Prophecy, and the Search for Lost Knowledge. Destiny Books. [11] Dry, S. (2014). The Newton Papers: The Strange and True Odyssey of Isaac Newton's Manuscripts. Oxford University Press [12] Albert Einstein. (2017). Theosophy.wiki. [13] Heindel, M. (1933) Blavatsky and the Secret Doctrine. Phoenix Press. [14] Mueller, W. M. (2019). Truth Seeker: The Human Condition. WestBow Press. [15] Mueller, W. M. (2019). Truth Seeker: The Human Condition. WestBow Press. [16] Kumar, S. (2018). Embracing Spirituality With A Scientific Mind. TheEcologist.org. [17] Wahbeh, H. (2012) The Science Of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition And Embrace The Force That Connects Us All. Reveal Press. [18] Wahbeh, H. (2021). What Is Channeling? The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). [19] Wahbeh, H. et. al. (2018). Exceptional Experiences Reported By Scientists And Engineers. Explore. [20] Bourguignon, E. (1976). Spirit Possession Beliefs And Social Structure. World Anthropology: The Realm Of The Extra‑Human: Ideas And Actions. Mouton. [21] Wahbeh, H. & Butzer, B. (2020). Characteristics Of English-Speaking Trance Channelers. Explore. [22] Franklin M. S. et.al. (2014) Future Directions In Precognition Research: More Research Can Bridge The Gap Between Skeptics And Proponents. Frontiers In Psychology. [23] Radin, D. (2016). Presentiment. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [24] Rosenberg, R. (2016). Precognition. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [25] MacKenzie, A. (1974). Riddle Of The Future: A Modern Study Of Precognition. Arthur Barker. [26] Rosenberg, R. (2016). Precognition. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

The most common psychic experience, yet also one of the most intriguing and underestimated, is the phenomenon of psychic intuition or clairintuition, also known as premonition, presage, foreboding, presentiment, and informally as ‘gut feelings’ or ‘hunches.’ The term intuition derives from Latin intueri meaning ‘to look at, consider,’ and intuicioun meaning ‘insight, direct or immediate cognition, spiritual perception.’ The mainstream notion of ‘intuition’ is however rife with myth, misconception, and even controversy. This muddle is in part due to different fields using the term to mean different things. “Given this range of uses, nothing can be said about intuition in general,” remarks philosopher Richard Rorty. [1] For example, psychologists define intuition as ‘unconscious thought,’ [2] or ‘unconscious pattern-matching cognition’ [3] , while in spirituality and metaphysics intuition is customarily regarded as an innate spiritual knowledge. It is in fact described by mystics and spiritualists of many traditions throughout the ages [4] , while occultists, esoteric scholars and metaphysicians conceive of it as the true ‘sixth sense.’ The phenomenon of 'intuition' or authentic psychic foreboding is generally misconceived by science and misconstrued in popular culture. Dictionary definitions of intuition range from it being ‘direct access to unconscious knowledge,’ or ‘inner sensing and insight,’ to ‘unconscious cognition,’ or ‘the ability to understand something instinctively, without any need for conscious reasoning.’ For both the practicing and developing psychic or medium it is vital to understand the true nature and role of intuition in the context of authentic psychic perception, beyond these misconstrued popular notions. INTUITION & INSTINCT Primitive man relied heavily on his everyday intuition. He thought in images and symbols, listened to his ‘inner voice,’ and followed his ‘gut.’ Early man fluently spoke the language of the soul, the metaphysical dialect of his spiritual origins. Intuition is the ‘native tongue’ of the mind-soul. It transcends the everyday time-space reality and the physical senses. We are all born with this innate ‘soul language,’ because we are spirit beings in human form. Orthodox science however typically argues that intuition is merely an ‘evolutionary intelligence’ that developed from our primitive, animalistic survival impulses and instincts. Statements like ‘rely on your instinct’ and ‘trust your gut’ are therefore often used interchangeably. It is typically assumed that instinct and intuition are the same thing, but this notion is based purely on a physical, ‘mind-brain’ view of consciousness and does not accurately reflect everyday intuitive experiences. Psychologist Marcie Boucouvalas writes “the intuitive realm has been functional since the dawn of humanity” and “we are all still pioneers and pilgrims on the pathway of better understanding human consciousness.” She believes it essential to transcend the traditional ‘either, or’ way of thinking about rational and intuitive modes of knowing. She adds however that “even if one accepts the validity of intuition, questions beckon.” Is the source of knowledge outside of and beyond the senses, located in a capacity of the human species that we do not yet fully understand? Or does it originate in the senses at a less than conscious level of awareness? [5] Neuropsychiatrist George Dearborn finds intuition is indeed “outside the range of physiology and neurology and is an unconscious process of the mind .” [6] Psychologist Mike Arons says the ‘problematic status’ of intuition is “somewhere between the instincts and the gods,” and the scientific ‘muddle’ around it is due to “skeptical rationalism which is a reactive pole to blind faith.” This has caused the notion of intuition to be either discounted or dismissed. He proposes instead that intuition is supraconscious and its study should thus include spiritual and transpersonal considerations, instead of only pure rationalism.” [7] The human body speaks in urges, impulses, and physical needs, while the soul speaks in premonitions , forebodings, hunches, and gut feelings. As spiritual beings we indeed have physical bodies with certain natural drives and impulses, like the ‘fight or flight’ response when we sense danger, or primal urges to seek out pleasure and avoid pain. These primal instincts have not evolved or changed much since prehistoric times. Despite our many modern advances and sophistication, we remain subject to our primitive instincts. [8] However, as you know from your own intuitive experiences (such as knowing who is calling you before the phone rings, or thinking of long-lost friends and later bumping into them) we cannot attribute all of our gut feelings, hunches, premonitions, and forebodings to mere ‘instinct,’ or a simplistic urge for ‘physical survival.’ In my experience instinct is the subconscious language of the mind-body , while intuition is the subliminal language of the mind-soul . The human body speaks in urges, impulses, and physical needs, while the soul speaks in premonitions, forebodings, hunches, and gut feelings. Intuition is an omniscient, archetypal, transcendental wisdom. It is the core dialect of our inner divinity, our spiritual origins, the eternal soul. We cannot fully access the sagacious, omniscient wisdom of the higher self, or divine self, or spirit through pure human intellect, logic, reason, and analytical thought alone. Instead, we need the ‘soul language’ of our metaphysical ‘inner guidance system.’ Intuition is an aspect of our spiritual essence; an awareness arising from our metaphysical resonance with the universal consciousness or the akashic field. We all experience this mind-soul resonance daily, in the form premonitions, forebodings, hunches, gut feelings, and so on. It is a soul language we are all born with, and it can be further fostered through various spiritual practices, such as meditation, dreamwork, and divination. Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them.” In the book Edgar Cayce on Religion and Psychic Experience , author Harmon Hartzell Bro writes that Cayce recommended that should we seek psychic experiences in our daily life, it should ideally be in the context of spiritual growth, learning about ourselves, or helping others. [9] Of course, as human beings, psychics and mediums also speak the everyday ‘soul language’ of intuition. However, when we channel or read, the intuitive impressions we perceive are not merely ‘inner guidance’ impressions, but instead clairintuitions. Clairintuitive psychic perceptions are not personal spiritual insights or private affirmations, but instead transpersonal and universal insights and affirmations, essentially resulting from an enhanced mind-soul dialect we are ‘wired’ to speak. Clairintuition is an expanded lexicon beyond the everyday language of the soul. It is a supernatural perception aptitude or gift, and not merely a form of ‘developed’ inner guidance. PSYCHICS & INTUITIVES It has become the trend in recent years for some psychic practitioners to refer to themselves as ‘sensitives’ or ‘intuitives,’ instead of using the term psychic . This is mainly a consequence of the negative connotations often associated with the word ‘psychic,’ especially in the mainstream media. For example, reporter Lisa Held writes, “while psychics have traditionally profited from claiming to predict the future or communicating with deceased relatives, many are now working in the general field of wellness, calling themselves ‘intuitives’ or ‘intuitive healers,’ who channel ‘energy’ that helps people discover what they want out of life.” [10] Intuitive counselor Susan King confirms, “I call myself an intuitive because I think it takes away any barriers and removes potential erroneous stereotyping.” [11] Journalist Sara Coughlin notes “as mystical as the professional title ‘intuitive’ might sound, the [intuitives] we spoke with described their abilities in highly sensible, practical terms. Intuition is like a muscle — you need to train it and use it regularly to maintain its strength. Intuition is best utilized if channeled through a more tangible medium, like numerology or tarot. And, most resoundingly, they also made it clear that everyone, spiritual or not, does have a sense of intuition that they can hone beyond that gut feeling. It's just up to the individual whether they choose to do so or not." [12] Psychic ability is an expanded capacity for supernatural perception that transcends the personal sphere of everyday intuition. Clairintuition is not merely a ‘honed gut feeling.’ Although it is indeed true that as spirit beings we all have a built-in capacity for intuition, authentic psychic channeling or reading is in my experience certainly not merely a form of ‘honed intuition.’ Everyone does experience precognition, presentiment, and premonition, because it serves to guide us on a daily basis as metaphysical beings on a spiritual mission — whether we are conscious of it, or not. However, this kind of everyday intuition is personal, private, and individual, and mostly focused on one’s own needs, as well as the welfare of your loved ones. In her best-selling book Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing medical intuitive Carolyn Myss agrees, “intuition is neither the ability to engage prophesy nor a means of avoiding financial loss or painful relationships. It is the ability to use energy data to make decisions in the immediate moment.” Patent psychic ability or the expanded capacity for supernatural perception transcends the personal sphere of everyday intuition. Clairintuition is not merely a ‘honed gut feeling.’ In fact, many people often fail to recognize their gut feelings and tend to disregard their hunches — only to later realize its validity, or discover its true meaning (sometimes with disastrous, even tragic consequences). Psychics and mediums however perceive profound transpersonal impressions of clairintuition, mostly on behalf of others . Ironically, we tend to be better at channeling these perceptions for others, instead of for our own benefit! Intuition is an aspect of the inner guidance system or our ‘spiritual GPS,’ while psychic perception is transpersonal, prophetic, omniscient , and numinous. Clairintuitive perception is not merely developed inner guidance or ‘honed intuition.’ It is metaphysical gift of prophetic intuition on ‘supernatural steroids.’ PRECOGNITION & PREMONITION Researchers generally do not apply distinct, separate terms for various forms of predictive psychic perception, as parapsychology traditionally does not distinguish between different forms of prophetic psi. Instead, the term precognition is generally used as an umbrella term to represent all forms of foreknowing (claircognizance), foreseeing (clairvoyance), forefeeling (clairempathy), foresensing (clairsomatica), and foreboding or forewarning (clairintuition). However, psychics and mediums know from direct experience that using such a broad term for all these nuanced prophetic phenomena is an underestimation and a gross misrepresentation of predictive psychic perception. It is not as if new terms must be invented for these concepts, because appropriate, distinguishing terms for these predictive phenomena already exist in the dictionary! Classic terms like prescience, presentiment, premonition, and presage have been around for centuries, yet one is unlikely to find them in modern scientific papers, much less in psychic blogs and social media posts. Prescience : foreknowledge, advance insight, anticipation of the course of future events, divine omniscience. Presentiment: to feel beforehand, a foreboding, an intuitive feeling about the future, a feeling that something will happen, a feeling that misfortune or calamity is coming. Premonition : forewarning, advance warning, prior notice, a strong feeling that something is going to happen Presage: something that foreshadows or portends a future event, a foretoken, a prophetic foreboding, an intuition or feeling of what is going to happen in the future, something sensed beforehand. With the advent of a Newtonian worldview and mechanistic, reductive science, these long-standing, time-honored terms have regrettably become outmoded archaisms. Our ancestors conceived these linguistic concepts to communicate their everyday mystical experiences. Yet, you will not find these terms, for example, in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) online dictionary. [14] The only related terms I found listed are precognition, retrocognition and premonitory dream. It is in fact peculiar that in both psychology and psi research the concept of ‘premonition’ is mostly only found in the context of dream phenomena , as demonstrated by the aforementioned example. Science apparently accepts the possibility that premonitions may occur in dreams, and even in altered states of consciousness, but when a premonition or presentiment occurs in the realm of waking awareness, it can only be a conscious or unconscious ‘precognition.’ True psychic perception is so much more than mere ‘mind-brain’ cognition . In fact, the APA essentially agrees, as it states that cognition is only one of the three traditionally identified components of ‘mind,’ along with affect (feeling) and conation (motivation). Yet, when it comes to predictive psychic phenomena, only one of these three ‘components of mind,’ receives attention and recognition in parapsychology? To my knowledge the APA currently offers no ‘affective,’ nor ‘conative’ terminology for what it calls ‘the purported ability to see or experience future events through some form of extrasensory perception.’ [15] I suspect the concept of precognition has been adopted as the preferred scholarly term because it is more empirically convenient and academically conceivable. The reductive notion of focusing on psi ‘cognition’ only, and the absence of clear terminological distinctions that reflect the fundamental differences between various clairsapient and clairsentient psychic perceptions, is in my view another result of the ‘arranged marriage’ between parapsychology and orthodox science. A recent neuroscience study proposes, for example, that all emotions are merely ‘cognitive states resulting from the gathering of information.’ Conscious experiences, regardless of their content, arise from one system in the brain. Specifically, the differences between emotional and non-emotional states are the kinds of inputs that are processed by a general cortical network of cognition, a network essential for conscious experiences. [16] But philosophers, spiritualists, metaphysicians, occultists, and mystics, including psychics and mediums, have through the ages always known we are not merely ‘computerized robots,’ or ‘information-processing machines.’ Instead, we are inspired, directed, guided, and protected every day by our feelings and intuitions — by ineffable, subjective, and mostly non-cognitive presentiments, premonitions, forebodings, forewarnings, hunches, and gut feelings. Yet, conventional science reduces these prophetic ‘qualia’ — that sometimes save lives and prevent disasters and tragedies — to one simplistic umbrella concept of ‘precognition’ and ‘ anomalous cognition.’ On February 26, 1993, financial executive Barrett Naylor had a premonition, while stepping off a train in New York's Grand Central Station. He felt he should immediately turn around and go home. He followed this gut feeling, which probably saved his life, as later that day a bomb detonated below the World Trade Center, where his office was located. Amazingly, Naylor experienced a similar foreboding eight years later, on the morning of September 11, 2001. Once again, it saved his life. Later he confessed that he felt guilt and regret for not sharing his premonition with others, as he believes it might have helped to save more lives before the attack on the World Trade Center. [17] On the evening of Wednesday, March 1, 1950, a Nebraska church exploded five minutes after the weekly choir practice was supposed to start. Miraculously no one was injured, as the church building was inexplicably empty that evening. All the choir members were ‘coincidentally’ and unusually late for the weekly rehearsal. [18] Although some choir members had mundane reasons for being tardy, including car trouble and overnapping, others had no specific reason to explain why they were late that night. [19] Did the choir members all have a foreboding premonition? If so, it was a shared intuition that was either subconscious or unconscious, but certainly not something of which they were ‘cognitively’ aware. Yet, parapsychology calls it ‘precognition.’ I suspect the concept of precognition has been adopted as the preferred scholarly term because it is a more empirically convenient and academically conceivable concept, while ineffable, old-world notions like presage, presentiment and premonition are inconvenient carriers of esoteric, supernatural, numinous, or mystical connotations. But using terms like these to differentiate between sapient and sentient psychic impressions is necessary in developing a universal psychic vocabulary, as it more accurately reflects and represents our true psychic experiences. For example, not all psychics and mediums have a claircognitive psychic preference for ‘foreknowing.’ They might not necessarily ‘know’ or ‘understand’ something beforehand, but they do ‘feel’ or ‘sense’ it, or even ‘see, hear, taste, or smell’ it. Psychic mind-soul perception is much more than mere ‘mind-brain cognition.’ To clarify the intuition 'muddle' it is therefore necessary for the concept of clairintuition to be clearly differentiated from other types of prophetic or predictive psychic impressions. For a more accurate new conceptual model of psychic perception, I therefore propose the following terms to distinguish distinct types of prophetic or predictive psychic impressions, according to the relevant ‘clair’ preference: Premonition : clairintuitive foreboding Precognition : claircognitive,prescient foreknowing Presentiment : clairempathic, affective forefeeling Prognosis : clairsomatic, somatosensory foresensing Presage : clairsensory apprehensions of foreseeing, forehearing, foresmelling; foretasting; foretouching Excerpt from The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception . © 2022 Anthon St. Maarten REFERENCES [1] Rorty, R. (2021). Intuition. Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Encyclopedia.com. [2] Sinclair, M. (2011). Intuition And Unconscious Thought. Handbook Of Intuition Research. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd [3] Rosenblatt A.D. & Thickstun, J.T. (1994). Intuition And Consciousness. The Psychoanalytic Quarterly. [4] Intuition. (2018). New World Encyclopedia. NewWorldEncyclopedia.org. [5] Davis-Floyd, R & Arvidson, P.S. (2016). Intuition: The Inside Story: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Routledge. [6] Dearborn, G. V. N. (1916). Intuition. Psychological Review. [7] Arons, M. (1993). Instinct, Intuition And Supraconscious: De-Alienating Reflections. The Humanistic Psychologist. [8] Nicholson, N. (1998). How Hardwired Is Human Behavior? Harvard Business Review. [9] Harmon, H. (1970). Edgar Cayce On Religion And Psychic Experience. Paperback Library. [10] Held, L. (2019). Psychic Mediums Are The New Wellness Coaches. The New York Times. Nytimes.com [11] Garfinkel, P. (2015). Don’t Call Her A Psychic: ‘Intuitive Counselor’ Susan King Sets Up Shop At Hotel Bel-Air. Los Angeles Times. [12] Coughlin, S. (2018). We Asked 5 Spiritual Workers To Define ‘Intuition’ - Here's What They Said. Refinery29.com [13] Myss, C. (1996) Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing. Harmony. [14] APA Dictionary Of Psychology. (2021) American Psychological Association. Dictionary.apa.org [15] Precognition. (2021). APA Dictionary Of Psychology. American Psychological Association. Dictionary.apa.org 16] New York University. (2017) Emotions Are Cognitive, Not Innate, Researchers Conclude. ScienceDaily. [17] Naylor, B. 20/20: The Sixth Sense: ‘Seeing The Future’. Oct 26, 2012. ABC News. [18] Nichols, L. (2010). Remember The Miracle: Church Explosion 60 Years Ago Not Forgotten. Beatrice Daily Sun. [19] Edeal, G. (1950). Why the Choir Was Late. Life Magazine. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.

How will highly sensitive people survive the new Age of Narcissism? How will empaths hold on to their sanity, well-being and inner peace, while they brave a growing toxic storm of psychic pollution in today's society. An epidemic of sociopathic attitudes, values and morals is slowly spreading like a virus through our global village. Narcissism, self-entitlement and a lack of empathy are fast becoming the toxic hallmarks of the digital age. And caught in the midst of this global whirlpool of poisonous psychic energy, is the empath, the intuitive, the highly sensitive person, who is finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat. Despite the vast collection of empath resources available to us these days, including online coaches, therapies, books, websites, courses, workshops and podcasts , all aimed at educating and empowering the highly sensitive person and emotionally intuitive empath, our plight remains an ongoing struggle. Many of the customary strategies and guidelines are not really working for us. Empaths everywhere are increasingly finding it difficult to cope. Our predicament is real, and it’s serious. And I believe we mostly have only ourselves to blame. To explain my unconventional view on this subject, I need to start off with the following disclaimer: if you are reading this article in the hopes of finding further confirmation bias for all those lame empath stereotypes, you will be very disappointed. In this essay you will not find the customary self-indulgent ideas and self-righteous beliefs about what it means to be an empath, which is so fervently advocated by some members of our community. So, please be forewarned. This blog post is definitely not intended to lament our empath wounds, celebrate our shared ‘victimhood,' or throw another highly sensitive ‘pity-party.’ Ain’t nobody got time for that! This blog post instead aims to truly empower and give sanction to awakened, conscious empaths to fulfill their true destiny. Why is rising narcissism the foremost threat to the empath community? It’s simple really: narcissists are the polar opposite of empaths. One of the primary defining traits of pathological narcissism is a complete lack of empathy. Narcissists are devoid of compassion, and generally incapable of truly caring about anyone or anything except themselves... and those things that serve their own agenda. In stark contrast, empaths tend to be the exact opposite, sometimes to their own tragic detriment. Ask any empath who has survived an abusive relationship with a gaslighting narcissist…they will know what I am talking about. While narcissists cultivate chaos and destruction, empaths tend to care more about the well-being of others than their own. The question is: why are empaths wired this way? Our society is becoming increasingly geared towards toxic individualism, deluded self-importance, extreme entitlement and neo-narcissism . We even have cool slogans and hashtags for it these days, such as “haters gonna hate” and "sorry not sorry." ​ A growing collection of research studies show that our society is becoming increasingly geared towards toxic individualism, deluded self-importance, extreme entitlement and neo-narcissism, while we are also becoming less empathetic and civically-oriented compared to previous generations. We even have cool slogans and hashtags for it these days, such as “haters gonna hate” and "sorry not sorry." People today are also less likely to be concerned about serious social problems and the state of the natural environment. Empathy, compassion, and contributions to charity are also on the decline. These days folks are more interested in the trappings of success, image, money and fame, and much less inclined to be of service, or to give back to their community. ​Instead, blatant narcissism is increasingly being celebrated and worshipped... ranging from bratty toddlers and teenage divas, to self-obsessed social media influencers, entertainment racketeers and political supervillains. If you don’t believe me, take another critical look at your social media feed, or today's mainstream news. So, what is the solution for empaths? How do we survive this mayhem? Do we avoid engaging with mainstream society as much as possible? Should we just steer clear of all the narcissists, bullies and mean people? Many of us have tried that already, with limited success. Unfortunately, the situation is no longer that simple. The state of affairs in our world has become much more ominous and deeply pervasive. Empaths are not only facing the threat of rising levels of individualistic narcissism and psychopathic self-entitlement, but we are also confronted by a global shift towards collective narcissism and a mean-spirited bully culture . There is a disturbing new upward trend in political polarization, religious extremism, prejudice, bigotry and real hatred everywhere. Toxic tribalism is also rearing its ugly head, and increasingly we are witnessing the signs of collective entitlement and an arrogant attitude of narcissistic superiority among a growing number of countries, nations, social and cultural groups, religious organizations and political parties. Worst of all, our collective narcissism and sense of entitlement as a species is gradually destroying the planet we inhabit, since we believe as a collective that we are the 'crowning glory' of all creation. Narcissism, the lack of empathy, and relentless entitlement, is present in the very air we breathe these days. I predicted this ominous shift back in the day of all the 2012 predictions and the Mayan Calendar hype. In those days many empaths, metaphysicians, spiritual gurus, channelers and members of the New Age community were gearing up for a major global spiritual awakening, a massive shift in collective consciousness. Many believers were convinced that we were rapidly ascending to a new level of higher consciousness and a blissful, utopian existence. A new world was fast dawning, and soon we would be leaving behind the heavy, dense atmosphere of this three-dimensional world in some sort of rapture… and ascend to a fifth dimensional, heavenly new reality, where things will be so much better. Lightworkers and empaths have not been arriving on this planet in droves over the past century to lead a cheerful carnival parade into a perfect new earth reality . There is still massive amounts of work to be done before we enter that promised land. Well, that shift indeed is taking place, but much slower than anticipated. And as I expected, the birth pains of this transition process is becoming arduous, agonizing and even brutal, especially for the highly sensitive empath. Our planetary evolution was never going to be a walk in the park. ​The truth is, lightworkers and empaths have not been arriving on this planet in droves over the past century, because we were coming here to lead a cheerful carnival parade into a perfect new earth reality. Quite the contrary! There is still massive amounts of work to be done before we can even begin to imagine entering that promised land. And know this: things are going to get much worse, before they get any better. The pendulum of universal law must first complete its swing in the extreme opposite direction. Empaths merely avoiding the stark realities of our modern world is not the solution. In fact, hiding from the world is the worst thing we can do at this time in human history. It is a betrayal of our true value and purpose, and our sacred mandate. There is no running away from who empaths were designed to be… and what we came here to do. One of the central features of being an empath is our inherent desire and our gifted ability to nurture, comfort, heal, guide, and harmonize, to help make the world a better place. The empath is wired for peace, love, healing and harmony. To feel, to nurture, and to care, is our calling in this lifetime. It is why we were born this way. Avoiding what is wrong in our world is not what we came here to do. ​Empaths did not come into this world to be victims and dropouts. We came to be healers, rescuers, teachers, guides, warriors, and saviors, at a pivotal time in human evolution. Empaths are lightworkers, and more and more of us are arriving on the planet every day, because we are meant to courageously guide the human race into the dawning of the new Age of Aquarius , the era of the Water Bearer, the forthcoming astrological age of love, brotherhood, unity, integrity teamwork, group culture, social justice and technology. Jesus of Nazareth, one of the central figures of the Piscean age, predicted this transition in Luke 22:10, when his disciples asked him how they should prepare for the Passover, which commemorates the exodus from slavery… and also was to be the Last Supper before the Crucifixion. "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,” Jesus said. The birth of the Age of Aquarius is not an easy one and is currently wreaking havoc, and causing much pain, as the world begins to make room for the new era that is to replace the old dogmatic regime of the Piscean Age. The outdated morals, beliefs and values of the Age of Pisces is now being exposed, taken to pieces, re-evaluated and dismantled on all levels, including in politics and government, religion, corporate culture and the economy, as well as in our personal lives and relationships. So, while the world may appear to be falling apart these days, we are actually in the process of a great transition or shift to a better future world. And empaths, sensitives and intuitives are meant to be of service to the world in this challenging time, as wayshowers, pioneers, healers, motivators, activists, role-models and pathmakers. We are supposed to be the guiding lights of a global shift in consciousness, and the brave leaders of a global transformation. Why then are so many of us still cowering in some forsaken, sad corner, feeling overwhelmed, confused and sorry for ourselves? The time has come for us to rise up! There is so much to be done, and we certainly have our work cut out for us. For despite all the cool self-importance and greedy self-entitlement of our modern society, statistics show that we are not becoming any happier, or feeling any more joyful or fulfilled. In fact, research shows that depression, anxiety, loneliness, addiction and suicide is on the increase, especially among the younger generation. This is in part due to the unrealistic expectations created by digital technology and popular culture, which often does not match everyday reality, as well as a world increasingly becoming devoid of empathy and compassion. Empaths are meant to be of service to the world in this challenging time... as wayshowers, pioneers, healers, activists and pathmakers. We are supposed to be the guiding lights of a global shift in consciousness, and the brave leaders of a global transformation. And how is it even possible that, after all the progress we have made as a species, there are still starving children, abused animals, human rights violations and large scale genocide to be found in our world today? If Jesus was present in human form on the planet today, I doubt he would be hiding out in La-La-Land… and neither would he be taking any silly selfies! Empaths can no longer stand idly by, while the world is suffering… no matter how difficult it is for us to breathe the current ‘toxic air of narcissism.’ Empaths are the shamans, healers and soothsayers of the tribe. We are often misunderstood, shamed and even demonized by a society that has normalized a destructive bully culture, in which we are scoffed at for being ‘too sensitive’ or ‘emotionally intense.’ In truth, we are destined to save those who mock and marginalize us. We will see who has the last laugh. The popular notion that empaths are nothing more than highly sensitive ‘sissies’ who must constantly protect themselves from sensing or feeling too much, is not just ignorant and condescending… it is downright disrespectful of the gifts and blessings we bring to this world. We are much more resilient and hardwired for struggle than we have been made to believe… or choose to believe. I first became aware of this problem myself back in 2010, when I submitted an article entitled Psychic Vampires and Energy Thieves , to a prominent online social forum for empaths. Despite my best intentions, the moderators rejected my article, stating that they cannot publish it due to its ‘disturbing’ title and subject matter. They felt it might be too distressing and deeply upsetting for their highly sensitive members. Seriously? I was gobsmacked… not sure whether I should laugh, or cry. It really is high time that we empaths and sensitives get over our victim mentality, self-imposed isolation and learned helplessness, and embrace our true calling as powerful energy diviners and alchemists . We were originally designed to transmute the negative, narcissistic energy we encounter in this world, and transform it into peace, love, harmony, and compassion. Our job here is to ‘spin straw into gold’... but without the help of the evil Rumpelstiltskin's of the world. Like King Midas, we have a mythical ‘golden touch’… or better yet, a magical heart of gold capable of great empathic magic and miracles. Our gift of empathy and our highly sensitive nature are not shortcomings, weaknesses or disabilities - they are our skills, strengths and superpowers! We are not losers, we are superheroes. We are David against a ghoulish Goliath. And we are much stronger and more powerful than we realize. ​​Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a 'hot mess' or having 'too many issues' are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world. How To Thrive As An Empath So, how do empaths brave this new zeitgeist… and armor up to enter the arena? Well, the first thing we may want to do is stop using self-defeating terms like ’empath survival.’ Empath empowerment is a much better concept. We did not come here merely to survive...we are here to thrive ! ​Furthermore, we certainly do not need more of the mutual coddling, communal pity parties, sensitivity stereotyping, and rehashed ‘survival tips and tricks.’ Enough already. ​The time has come for us empaths to ‘get over’ ourselves. We need to go hardcore, and we need all hands on deck. There is much work to be done and time is of the essence. We need to get on track with our own mission by cultivating the necessary knowledge, skills and lifestyle habits needed to claim back our true power and pursue our sacred spiritual purpose. In the words of Horace Mann, "we should all be ashamed to die until we have won some victory for humanity." ​To really thrive as a highly sensitive empath in the era of neo-narcissism you may want to consider the following practical guidelines and strategies to empower yourself. ​Saving others begins with rescuing yourself . Healing the world begins with facing yourself in the bathroom mirror. Conquer Your Demons We cannot bypass or avoid the need for healing on the road to empath empowerment. This is the first vital step, without which the rest of the journey is doomed to fail. Healer, heal thyself. Too many empaths are braving this new age damaged and unhealed. They have forgotten who they really are, they have been told they are useless and weak. They do not know their own strength and power, and many are giving up. Some empaths have already aborted the mission in recent years, through self-destructive choices and suicide, while others remain trapped in tragic, aimless lives of self-imposed suffering, learned helplessness, victimhood, and self-pity. Those who are struggling to cope are often also self-medicating with alcohol, food, sex, drugs or over-the-counter medication, with disastrous consequences. So, let’s get real here. If we are going to make any useful difference to ourselves and our new world, we are going to have to be brave and clean up our act. Period. True empowerment starts with dealing with any addictive behaviors, substance abuse, childhood traumas, relationship abuse and all other psychological wounds, issues and hang-ups that may be holding us back. Empowered, healed empaths are highly self-aware and know their own triggers and manage their weaknesses. They have also broken the cycle of narcissistic abuse in their lives. ​If you have been avoiding truly dealing with the damage you may have sustained as a highly sensitive being born into a ruthless world, then it is time for you to step up and do the necessary work to find your personal healing. Conquer your inner demons. For until you completed your own journey of healing, you are relatively useless to the rest of us. Saving others begins with rescuing yourself. Healing the world begins with facing yourself in the bathroom mirror… getting down on your knees in meditation… or laying back on a therapist's couch. There are no shortcuts here, and the healing process can be painful and arduous. But it must be done. Knuckle down and do the work. Evacuate Your Comfort Zone To become a truly empowered empath it is vital that we cultivate psychological hardiness and emotional resilience, by gradually building a greater tolerance for stress, adversity and change. It starts by accepting that human life is a never-ending journey of losses, challenges, beginnings and endings. It also starts with accepting personal responsibility for our well-being, and taking control of our lives. How we choose to look at life’s challenges, how we reframe them, and how we adapt to them, determines how well we will cope in the end. Empowered empaths take a genuine interest in other people and have a healthy curiosity about the world, instead of feeling alienated, distancing themselves from other people, and cutting themselves off from the world. The empowered, resilient empath also understands that control is something that comes from within, and not from the world around us. Our sense of control is often based on our own flawed perception, rather than actual reality and objective facts. Empowered empaths focus on what they can actually control in their lives, instead of obsessing and worrying about the things they have no control over. They do not settle for powerlessness, or believing that their life is controlled by fateful external forces. Empaths are emotion warriors equipped with a secret weapon which I call empathic edge . We have the superior capacity to process and transform emotional energy in all its weird and wonderful manifestations. Empowered empaths also embrace the fact that change is the norm in our daily lives, as opposed to predictable certainty, security and stability. They understand that change is not a personal threat or curse, but instead a blessed opportunity for personal growth and expansion. They also realize that negative, toxic energy is not the enemy, but instead the very ‘straw’ from which we are meant to spin the ‘gold’ of love, peace and harmony. The best way to build psychological resilience and hardiness, is to leave your empath comfort zone, and actually enter the arena of life. You have to start taking some calculated risks, put yourself out there, and actually experience life, for better and worse. And when you get knocked down (which you will) you get up and dust yourself off, work through it, and try again. You reflect on what happened and learn how to better deal with it next time. As empaths and highly sensitive people we tend to get knocked down more often, and also more easily… but only at first. Our recovery may also be more arduous and slow to begin with. But once we find our feet and become fighting fit, we become unstoppable… and can ultimately bounce back without even breaking a sweat! Why? Because empaths are emotion warriors equipped with a secret weapon which I call empathic edge . ​Empathic edge is our superior capacity or talent for analyzing, comprehending, processing and dealing with feelings and emotions. So, once we find our stride (down there in the ruthless, brutal arena) we begin to truly harness our elite ability to run circles around even the worst emotional setbacks life may throw at us and the people we care about. We were born with the innate tools to process and transform emotional energy in all its weird and wonderful manifestations… much more efficiently and effectively than most people. So, why would we be afraid? Bring it on! Streamline Your Lifestyle ​One of the defining features of an empowered empath’s way of life is that they have streamlined and decluttered their lifestyle in such a way that they have access to more of the people and things that they need to feel calm, happy and at peace. They have also released all the sabotaging crap and toxic relationships that does not serve them, or holds them back. To become more empowered as an empath we must release what no longer serves us. So, you may need to move to that cheaper home, change your dead-end job, file for that long-overdue divorce, or simply turn off your television set. Do whatever you know you need to do to find your bliss. True warriors cannot go to battle stressed out, and dragging tons of excess baggage and useless dead weight. Get rid of it! ​ Get rid of all those wretched empath labels and ​self-sabotaging stereotypes . ​Let go of the fears, doubts, narrow-mindedness, and limiting beliefs. Time to accept that you are enough. Depending on how toxic your environment and your relationships are, this is a process that may take some time. No matter how impossible it may seem at first to let go and liberate yourself, know that all things are possible with the right attitude and enough determination. Where there is a will, there is always a way. Find it. ​And while you are at it, clean up your self-esteem. Get rid of all those wretched empath labels and self-sabotaging stereotypes. Let go of the fears, doubts, narrow-mindedness, and limiting beliefs. Time to accept that you are enough. In the words of Marianne Williamson, "​Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world." Pursue Your Life Purpose In my experience the only empaths who really live happy, fulfilled lives are the ones who have gained an understanding of who they really are and why they are here, and who have found their unique way to be of service to the greater good. The most important key to empath empowerment is recognizing your life purpose and true calling, and then striving to accomplish it. You arrived on this planet with your highly sensitive nature and your empathic talents and abilities for a reason. You are a sensitive superhero on a sacred mission. Your life as an empath is a gift to this world. So, what have you done with yours today? By the way, none of us hit the ground running when we arrive here. Typically we only take up our calling and fulfill our true purpose later in life, once we have completed the necessary preparation. We must first gather all the data we need, do the necessary reconnaissance, condition ourselves for battle, face some hard knocks, setbacks and obstacles, and gain some valuable combat experience, before we are ready to embark on our hero’s journey. Your life as an empath is a gift to this world. So, what have you done with yours today? ​If you already know what you are meant to do.. then get on with it! If you have a defined, clear purpose, then stop procrastinating. The world needs all the help it can get. What are you waiting for? ​And if you have no clue yet what you are meant to contribute, then begin to make an effort to find out. You need to do some serious soul-searching and figure out what your gift is to this world. What is your mission, what is your message? What are you meant to contribute to make this world a better, safer, happier, more loving and compassionate place? What is the legacy you hope to leave behind someday? What did you come here to do? Your divine self is fully aware and informed of your reasons for being here. Your higher self is after all the architect and designer of your current life journey. The answer will come from within when the time is right. Meanwhile, follow your heart and listen to your inner guidance. We are guided every moment of every day towards our true destiny. Seek and ye shall find. Follow the breadcrumbs through the forest. Express Yourself Creatively Empaths do not have to be an artists, but at least ​stop hiding from the world and find your way to express yourself. The options and possibilities are plethora: dance, fitness, sports, science and research, motivational speaking, comedy, music, singing, songwriting, theatre and acting, writing, journaling, blogging, spiritual practice, energy healing, drawing, painting, knitting, sewing, craft-making, film making, graphic design, cooking, gardening, landscaping, fashion and beauty, carpentry, building, repairing, charity work, fundraising, activism and protesting, and so on. ​Why? Because some empaths are emotional hoarders . They become dysfunctional and suffer neurosis because they do not have effective means to transmute and release all of the emotional energy they absorb. Like scrooges they hold onto it, internalize it, cling to it... only to become frustrated, overwhelmed and psychologically poisoned. Empaths are not only designed to attract and absorb emotional energy from others, we are also meant to transform and project it for the greater good. We have a powerful ability to emotionally affect those around us. We have the power to shift people, Your deep emotionality and sensitive acuity does not belong to you, it belongs to the world! Empaths are meant to express their feelings and transform emotional energy into gilded miracles and magic that makes this world a better place. Find your way of doing this in a positive way. It will empower you and even re-calibrate your own energy. Unleash Your Inner Warrior ​ Empaths are not meant to be victims, we are hardwired to be emotional warriors. To own your empath power and accomplish your life mission successfully, you must adopt the habits of a highly-conditioned ‘soldier’ and cultivate the traits and lifestyle of true warrior. We have no chance of healing or saving the world with an army of lazy, unhealthy, demotivated, uninspired, unreliable and untrustworthy 'deadbeats.' To unleash your inner warrior you will need energetic endurance, mastery and control. Warriors need to be fighting fit - mind, body and soul. This means that you may need to make some significant changes in your lifestyle and daily habits. You may also need to adjust some of your dysfunctional behavior patterns and become more disciplined in how you manage your life. Elite warriors require elite ‘training.’ Their very survival depends on it! We have no chance of healing or saving the world with an army of lazy, unhealthy, demotivated, uninspired, unreliable and untrustworthy 'deadbeats.' Elite warriors require elite ‘training.’ Their very survival depends on it! Take care of your mind through continued study, research, reading and further education. Sort out your body and your health by making the necessary changes to your diet, nutrition, exercise and fitness, as well as any self-sabotaging lifestyle habits. And amp up your spirituality. Start taking better care of yourself... mind, body and soul. ​Also, true warriors live with honor, integrity and moral certitude. Are you trustworthy and reliable in your daily life? Do you change your mind a lot? Always making excuses? Do you avoid your commitments? Are you inconsistent or insincere? Do you manipulate, lie, cheat, steal, gossip? This is not the true nature of the empath. If you want to become truly empowered, then become true to your word, and your inherent empathic nature. Be kind. Be honest. Keep your promises. Lead by example. Do the right thing. Become the change that you wish to see in the world. Live an authentic, honorable life. And keep it real. Amp Up Your Spiritual Practice There is no way empaths can become fully empowered without a consistent, disciplined daily spiritual practice, for without faith, hope and inner guidance, warriors soon lose their way…and possibly their life. To become a truly empowered empath, you need to adopt a hardcore approach to your spiritual practice. As highly sensitive beings we need our spiritual life to be on steroids, if we are to have any real chance of thriving in this world! Empaths must be able to trust their intuition and follow their inner guidance system at all times. They must be spiritually aware enough to be able to interpret their dreams, identify signs and synchronicities, and clearly hear their inner voice. This is tricky if you are still on an old-fashioned ‘dial-up connection’ to the Big Computer In The Sky. That kind of ‘wishy washy’ spiritual connection is slow, unreliable and limiting. Empaths need a broadband or satellite connection to get the job done! And the only way to achieve that is through consistent daily spiritual practice involving, for example, meditation, breathing exercises, energy hygiene, self-healing and psychic protection work, especially psychic grounding and shielding. We also need some solitude and recreational time out…some ‘me time.’ ​To become an empowered empath you need to adopt a consistent daily spiritual practice and self-care routine that works for you, and make it a natural part of your daily lifestyle, like brushing your teeth. It is absolutely necessary and will make a massive difference in your life. Not only does spiritual practice energize, restore, heal and protect the empath, it also increases our awareness and inner guidance. It sets our target for the real work we came to accomplish in the Age of Narcissism. © 2019 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

If you are currently facing a difficult period in your life, please do know that it will not last forever! Better days will be knocking on your door in due course. Time does not only heal all wounds, it also reveals to us the method in all the madness we had to go through. We are often blinded by our own trauma or suffering. For example, earlier today one of my clients begged me to explain to her why she has been having such “bad luck” lately. What had she done to deserve this hell she is going through? ​In my experience, the pain or anguish we experience in our lives always turns out to be a blessing in disguise, one way or another. But in the midst of our misery it is obviously difficult to see this clearly and objectively. ​What my ‘bad luck’ client did not know, before she called, was that she has healing in her hands, and that all her torment was empowering her to heal others in the future. She knows that now, although I suspect she does not believe me yet! In time her true destiny will be revealed to her. When I stand before thee at the day’s end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing ~ Rabindranath Tagore It is an undeniable fact that we humans tend to take things for granted very easily. Due to our inherently inquisitive and hedonistic nature, and our constant need for excitement and novelty, we tend to lose interest all too soon in all the good things we have going for us in our lives. We seldom count our blessings! Without the contrasts created by loss, disappointment or suffering, it is unlikely that we will ever truly treasure the real blessings in life, like our health, our talents and our family and friends. If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. Yes, life can be challenging, with a few brilliant peaks, and many dark valleys. But that is why we are here. We are spiritual beings seeking human adventure. We certainly did not sign up to come into this world for a perpetual snooze-fest! Whatever it is you are going through right now, you may want to consider the possibility that we create many of these life challenges for ourselves, before we come into this lifetime. I do believe that we design our own life plan, like a thrilling obstacle course, before we are born. We incarnate into the physical realm, armed and ready with a blue print or road map for exploration of new horizons. Yes, your life is an adventure of continued expansion and evolution into higher consciousness! In order to complete this amazing journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, find the blessing in every curse. Do not imagine for one moment that I make these sweeping statements lightly. Believe me, I have not had an easy life. Far from it. Like many fellow seekers, I also went through a Dark Night of the Soul , only difference being that mine lasted longer than most. It started in my pre-teens and continued well into adulthood. For most of my life my psychic heritage and my empathic nature was a burden, a curse and a shameful secret. I experienced much abuse, prejudice, social alienation and personal suffering because of it. I also faced many additional personal obstacles and challenges. I walked the valleys of the shadows of life for a very long time. Today I know and accept that I was meant to be a guide, advisor and healer for others. If I had not gone through all my personal trials and tribulations , I would be pretty useless to others, and my psychic gifts would have been neglected or even completely lost, or wasted. I also discovered over the years Carl Jung’s archetype of the wounded healer , which explains the road I had to travel to where I am today. The wounded healer is empowered by his own healing journey. I have seen the darkness of human misery, and I survived to tell others what a beautiful blessing life truly is. Personal suffering inspired me towards much wisdom and compassion, and it can do the same in your life! I live in constant gratitude and appreciation for all that I have experienced, because it enables me every day to help and support others; to heal broken hearts, transform lives and guide people on their path towards personal fulfillment. Instead of choosing the role of martyr or victim, know that once you liberate yourself from your ego-based suffering , you will become a source of great comfort for others . Once your ‘dark night’ has passed, nobody else will be better suited to teach the valuable life lessons that you had to learn yourself, through so much misery and sacrifice. During these trying times do not settle for bitterness, self-pity or resentment. Embrace instead the divine miracle of your path to greater awareness and understanding. Acknowledge your growing empathy for others, and validate and cherish those people who stand by you, for better or worse. We heal the past by living in the present and visioning the future we deserve. There is much light at the end of this tunnel, and some day soon you too shall find that silver lining. © 2010 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

A well-meaning friend recently sent me a “Happy Father’s Day” meme. At first, I was a little surprised, since I don't have any children, and my dad passed away many moons ago. Then I thought about it again, and responded, “Much appreciated! I am very proud of the man I raised myself to become.” Yes, indeed. Growing up psychic and sane was certainly no mean feat, since my childhood resembled a combination of the movies 'Matilda' and 'The Sixth Sense,' with a sprinkling of 'The Jerry Springer Show', all set against the backdrop of 'The Handmaid’s Tale.' For many years, I thought I was just really stupid, or weird, even crazy. Many of my earliest memories are of vivid extra-sensory experiences and sometimes traumatic paranormal events. Growing up psychic is certainly not for sissies. I woke up many nights with what I perceived to be 'shadow people' standing next to my bed. I still don't like to talk about those days. ​I am a psychic medium by birth, but only discovered this fact much later in my life. ​There were many signs and synchronicities over the years, of which some were quite exceptional, but due to my stubborn rejection of my psychic heritage, I only managed to connect all the dots many years later. I inherited my psychic ability from my paternal grandmother. Throughout my childhood my dad used to tell us amazing stories of his mother, and how she used to talk to dead people and foretell the future by looking into people's teacups. Family legend has it that as a young woman she was an 'Irish beauty' with pale skin and piercing violet eyes. She was admired, but also feared by some in the small town where she lived in the 1940s and 5o's. Some of the locals would actually cross the road to avoid her. Apparently, word had gotten around that whenever she talked kindly to strangers, someone in that particular family was going to get sick... or kick the bucket... or both! Poor grandma, I'm sure she meant well. However, whenever they needed their fortunes told, or had problems with paranormal activity in their homes, they always knew where to find her. According to my dad, she was a badass 'ghostbuster' in her day! As a matter of fact I had a terribly traumatic childhood. But afterward I sort of reraised myself ~ Michael Gruber I suspected at a very young age that there must be something terribly wrong with me. I was clearly very different from other children, and it was confirmed soon after my 5th birthday, when the headmistress at kindergarten peppered my tongue with cayenne, in front of the whole school, for telling “tall tales” about a mysterious “angel man” watching over us from the corner of the playground, as well as the sad little "ghost girl" who used to play with us on the merry-go-round. Apparently, I was upsetting the other kids, and some of their parents. At first I thought everyone saw, heard and sensed the same things I did, but on that momentous day in daycare, it became very clear that this was not the case. ​The name-calling and bullying escalated by the time I went to school. I was a gifted, unusual child growing up in a very religious and politically conservative society. Nevertheless, I was intuitively drawn to the mystical and the paranormal from a very early age. My mom was not impressed, for example, when she discovered one day that her missing glass bowl had been turned upside down and used as a ‘crystal ball’ to do readings for some of the kids in the neighborhood. Not to mention the fact that those kids were a little freaked out too! What can I say... we had no computer games in those days. ​Growing up in Apartheid South Africa, my childhood environment was shaped by a government policy known at the time as Christelike Nasionale Opvoeding (Christian National Education). This restrictive policy was geared towards social engineering and allowed very little religious or ideological freedom. The Calvinistic and highly chauvinistic values of the regime were drilled into us, and we were programmed not to question authority, and to comply with the prescribed cultural and social expectations of our community. In this stifling environment I was obviously soon misunderstood, ostracized and bullied, to the extent that I began to view my highly sensitive nature and psychic heritage as a shameful secret... as some kind of personal ‘disability.’ ​To be sensitive, emotional and spiritually aware are still taboos in this world, especially for young men. Combine that with being an empathic ‘new age weirdo’ who talks to dead people... and you have the perfect breeding ground for shame, self-hatred and public humiliation. The fact that my parents were emotionally absent, and not at all nurturing or supportive, did not make things any easier. ​I soon realized I had to wear a mask and pretend to be what I am not, for fear of rejection and ridicule. I fervently began to resist my extra-sensory experiences. My fascination with all things metaphysical soon became my ‘dirty little secret.’ At least I no longer blurted out the secrets of unsuspecting adults at social gatherings, which often caused many red faces and awkward silences around coffee tables and barbeque fires. I'm sure many folks were quite relieved that I opted to keep my mouth shut. ​I was fortunate to grow up with a lot of books in my childhood home, and I became the proud owner of a public library card as soon as I could read. Just like Roald Dahl's character, Matilda, books really were my saving grace. Books nurtured, guided and comforted me as a child. Books were my substitute parents and teachers, when the adults in my life failed me. In my late teens, I was fortunate to discovered the classic book, An Experiment with Time by J.W. Dunne, and this helped me a great deal over the years to understand and interpret my dreams, which is a skill I now effectively use in my work. The most important thing I learned from Dunne’s book was that I was not the only guy in the world who sees the future in his dreams . Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone ~ Roald Dahl Oddly, books also brought me a fleeting 15 minutes of popularity among my peers. I was around 13 years old at the time and I used to secretly read books about divination, the paranormal, and mediumship, in the school library. It was the safest, most peaceful place for me to hide from the bullies during school breaks. ​One day three older girls noticed the palmistry book I was reading, and the leader of the pack came over and asked me what it was about. Not used to this kind of attention, especially from older kids, I proceeded to spill the beans, before I even considered how she might respond. Instead of being shocked or amused, she asked me if I could “tell fortunes." Without any hesitation, I said yes. She immediately beckoned her friends over, and insisted I read their palms. I actually knew very little about palmistry, but I was born with the ability to ‘see’ and ‘feel’ things when I touch someone, or hold an object that belongs to them. So, one by one I took their eagerly upturned hands and gave the first psychic readings of my career. I will never forget the expression on their faces as I talked about their problems at home, their schoolwork issues, and all the drama of their teenage romances and the boys they secretly had crushes on. Word spread of the geeky kid in the library who tells fortunes, and soon there was a mob of youngsters waiting for me at the library every day. The library became my ‘psychic parlor’ and a refuge for all the teenage angst of the senior girls. But my newfound fame was short-lived, because the crowding and noise got so out of hand that the school’s librarian had no other choice but to put an end to it. She also sent me to the headmaster’s office, where I received a beating with one of the canes from his extensive collection - for being a disruptive influence, and for doing “the devil’s work.” The following week, at Monday morning assembly, he read from scripture and sternly warned the student body against the evils of witchcraft and satanism. I was just thankful he never called my parents. For a long time, after my stint as the ‘teenage library psychic,’ I refused to publicly acknowledge the existence of psychic or paranormal phenomena. I had by now gone thoroughly undercover, and deep into the psychic closet. Yet, I still was frowned upon by teachers, and rejected and tortured by many of my peers, for daring to be different from the norm. I was a weird kid. Period. On my 16th birthday my father gave me a yellowed, sealed envelope from my grandmother, which she handed to him a few months before her passing. It contained a short letter to his eldest child, explaining my psychic heritage. The letter also contained a St. Christopher pendant, which she said I should wear for my protection. I did not take any of this very seriously at the time, and disregarded all of it as the 'woo-woo' ramblings of an old lady. Sorry grandma, I will apologize to you in person someday, when I finally get back to the Other Side. For many years, I had a problem with intense anxiety and I frequently experienced acute panic attacks. The problem was so severe when I was about 4 or 5 years old, that I had to be rushed to the emergency ward on more than one occasion, and once had to be hospitalized, because I would literally stop breathing. My dad told me years later that on that particular day I was so uncontrollably hysterical, it took the physical strength of two nurses, my dad and the doctor to pin me down for an injection. ​The first time I personally became fully aware of having these panic attacks, and that they were linked to something beyond this world, was when I was about 7 years old and in the second grade. I was sitting on the living room floor one afternoon, paging through a book, when suddenly an intense sense of dread engulfed me. At the same time an ominous 'shadow' descended upon our home, as if the sky had suddenly turned overcast outside. The living room became gloomy as if it was suddenly twighlight. Someone... or something... was in that room with me. Then, I remember feeling somehow very angry...when the pages of the book in front of me began to vigorously page all by itself... from cover to cover... rapidly... like someone flicking through a deck of cards! I was beyond myself with terror! I ran for dear life, jumping over furniture and just about diving through the front door to get out of that house! Outside the sun was shining brightly and it was still a beautiful, peaceful summer's day. I refused to go back into the house for the rest of the afternoon, patiently waiting on the front lawn, until my parents came home from work. ​As a child I felt myself to be alone, and I am still, because I know things and must hint at things which others apparently know nothing of, and for the most part do not want to know ~ C.G. Jung Soon after, I woke up one night from some kind of bad dream. Crying inconsolably, I ran to my parents' bedroom, where my mother lay sleeping alone. My dad was not yet home. Mom could make no sense out of what I was trying to say. She thought I was simply afraid of the heavy thunderstorm outside. Apparently, I was sobbing and repeatedly crying, "Daddy has the moon on his face...!" Later that night the phone call came. My father had been in a head-on collision and had not been wearing his seat-belt. He went through the windshield, head first. The shattered glass cut into his face, leaving a large, deep wound shaped like a half moon across his forehead. He carried that scar for the rest of his life. By the way, that 'self-paging' book was certainly not the first or last time that psychokinetic or telekinetic phenomena happened around me. Psychokinetic occurrences are an almost normal, although very infrequent part of my everyday life since I can remember. For example, it is not unusual for me to somehow crash computers and cash registers everywhere I go, when I am out and about on a particularly emotionally distressed day! A few people in my life have also learned not to stand under any exposed overhead light-bulbs, whenever I'm around, as they do tend to unexpectedly explode from time to time. Same thing happens with street lights. One of the funnier instances occurred inside a grocery store in 2009, on a quiet weekday morning. I was walking down the cereal aisle, minding my business, when a piece of PVC water pipe mysteriously became dislodged and dropped from the ceiling, missing my head by inches. Fortunately, I only had a scratch on my face and my shirt was covered in a muddy slush. Interestingly, most of these everyday 'disturbances' subsided and even disappeared once I began working full-time as a psychic professional. One of the most traumatizing and memorable anxiety attacks happened during the school holidays in the early part of 1983. I was 16 years old at the time and waiting for a bus in Church Street in Pretoria, South Africa, when I was suddenly overcome by the most horrible sense of dread. The anxiety was so overwhelming that I could hardly breathe. I had no idea what might have caused this suffocating feeling, but I just new that I was in extreme danger... and I immediately had to get out of that area! At first I walked, but eventually ran like an insane person for about 2 km (1.3 miles). Then, just as suddenly as it came, the feeling was gone. I came to an exhausted halt, drenched in perspiration, yet utterly calm and relieved. This inexplicable incident was soon forgotten, but in recent years I accidentally discovered its true meaning, after sharing some of my childhood experiences with a fellow psychic. I had never made the connection before, but after doing some further research, I soon realized that a few months after my panic episode, on the afternoon of May 20th, 1983 , at least 16 people were killed and about 130 injured in a car bomb explosion in Pretoria. The explosion happened outside the Nedbank Square building on Church Street, at the height of the city's rush hour…just a few steps away from where I had been standing on that day when that dreadful panic attack hit me! So much for psychic overload and being an energy sponge. To this day I wonder if I could have made a difference at the time, had I been more empowered with a better understanding of why I was experiencing these bizarre things. In my early 20’s, I was referred to a therapist by my doctor, in the hope of overcoming my anxiety. It was a miraculous synchronicity that I went to see this particular therapist, because he just happened to be a mainstream psychologist who was also interested in alternative spirituality, energy work and holistic healing. For obvious reasons, he never admitted any of this to me at the time, I only figured it out many years later. Instead of just doing the usual psychotherapy, we also did past life regression and energy healing. At the time I did not understand what he was trying to accomplish; I thought he was teaching me some kind of self-hypnosis. And I thought his therapeutic skills sucked, because he spent most of his time sitting back in his armchair with his eyes closed. After many sessions, during which nothing much happened, I had a major breakthrough one day. I remember suddenly feeling an intense ‘explosion’ in the are of my solar plexus, as if a floodgate had burst wide open. I was pinned to the couch by a powerful stream of energy rushing through what felt like a churning ‘cavity’ in my stomach. It was like a tornado drilling right through my spine, and into the floor below me. It was the most astonishing thing I had ever felt. After the initial shock, an incredible sense of relief and freedom washed over me. The therapist asked me what I was feeling, but I was unable to speak. I was completely paralyzed, as if in a trance. Silent tears were running down my face, and I felt profoundly calm, blissful and at peace. Living a spiritual life may not be easy. It demands total authenticity. It brings you to dance to a unique song that only you can hear fully, and sometimes you dance alone because no others can hear the music ~ Debra Moffitt Years later, I figured out that what I had experienced was an unblocking of my solar plexus chakra , which is the energy center for mental understanding of our emotional life. Interestingly, the spiritual lesson of this chakra is to achieve self-love, and acceptance of our place in the stream of life. The solar plexus chakra is often linked to issues relating to self-image or self-esteem, oversensitivity to criticism, fear of rejection, and fears of our secrets being found out. The information stored in this energy center also relates to personal power, our sense of belonging and the consciousness of self within the Universe . It is the basis for a positive, healthy self-image and connection to one's personal spiritual path and life calling. ​Based on my childhood experiences, I clearly was a prime candidate for developing a problem in this area! Not that any of this mattered much to me at the time. All I cared about was the fact that I never again experienced a single panic attack since that day. On my final visit to the unorthodox ‘shrink,’ he unexpectedly gave me as parting gift a paperback copy of the book Mind To Mind: The Secrets Of Your Mind Energy Revealed , by the late Betty Shine. She was a renowned psychic medium and healer in the United Kingdom, and her book helped me find my way back to who I really was. It opened up a whole new world for me, very far removed from the books on palmistry I used to read in the school library. I soon started doing some of Betty’s meditation exercises. My favorites were Journey to the Centre of the Universe and The Auric Egg . Betty’s exercises became the foundation for my personal psychic re-attunement and my ultimate spiritual awakening. Little did I know at the time that these exercises would eventually become spontaneous experiences that came and went for the next decade. There was a long period when I had recurring dreams and out-of-body experiences of returning to that spiritual ‘university’ on the edge of the Universe, for more and more ‘lessons.’ Betty's book and grandma's pendant were also not the only unusual, synchronistic gifts I received along the way. While I was a senior at university, for example, I became acquainted with a new student, named Rudy. Our friendship was brief, but to this day his synchronous appearance in my life intrigues me. How exactly it happened remains a mystery to me, but one day he just unexpectedly showed up at my door with an unusual gift in a brown paper bag. It was a brand new deck of Rider Waite ® Tarot cards. It was not my birthday, or any other special occasion, so I asked him the reason for this unusual gift. His answers still haunts me to this day. “It is best to receive your first deck as a gift, instead of buying it yourself,” he said. Then he left. A few days later I heard that he had dropped out of school and I never saw him again. Sadly, that deck of cards ended up being burned in a bonfire later that year, which a friend and I felt compelled to make in the backyard when we became reborn Christians for a period of time. In 1996, I experienced three consecutive blackouts, or fainting spells, a few weeks apart. I simply fell unconscious for no apparent reason. Twice I badly injured myself, and still have the scars on my left ear and the right side of my forehead. On all three occasions I had profound out-of-body experiences (ODEs). I remember feeling like I was floating and seeing my own body lying on the floor. Then it felt like I was moving very rapidly through a dark tunnel… to a place of safety. It felt like all the sacred knowledge and deepest truths of the Universe were surging through my very being. I also felt intense emotions of well-being, and joy, and peace. It was unbelievable, and so pleasant, that I did not want to return, but I kept hearing a far-off voice telling me that I had to go back, because my work was not done. I felt annoyed that anyone would expect me to go back, but I was being sucked violently back into my body and waking up feeling disoriented, and really miserable. The weird blackouts happened within a period of one month, and I have never experienced anything like it again. After the third incident, I was tested extensively in a medical lab for every possible cause, but nothing was found. They did blood tests, had me running on a treadmill, and even took an MRI scan. Nothing. My doctor was puzzled. Nobody could explain what may have caused me to just fall unconscious, without anything being wrong with my physical health. In fact, I was extremely fit at the time, since I worked part-time as an aerobics and yoga instructor. I was also enrolled for a personal fitness trainer certification course in those days, and it was a source of great amusement for the other students, when I showed up for lectures with a black eye and swollen forehead. Nobody believed my story that I had just fainted for no reason, and they teased me endlessly about “getting wasted and beat up in a pub brawl!” When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind ~ Patrick Rothfuss I had sensed that something significant happened during those blackouts, but I never would have thought that those fainting spells had in fact been near-death experiences (NDEs). The descriptions I read of other people’s NDEs were generally different from what I had experienced, so I did not know what to make of it. Amazingly the answer came to me courtesy of a skeptic! According to research conducted by Dr Kevin Nelson , a leading advocate for brain-based theories for NDEs, the leading cause of near-death experience is fainting . Although Dr. Nelson does not believe that there is anything spiritual about NDEs, he certainly helped me find some answers about my own spiritual and psychic awakening. ​ ​After these experiences, my psychic awareness rapidly began to increase and intensify, although I still did not take it very seriously and kept it secret from friends and family. After all, I had majored in Psychology in the early 90s and knew very well where people ended up who claimed they ‘saw things’ or ‘heard voices’. I had no intention of becoming just another psychiatric statistic. But after several further traumatic life events, and strange disruptions in my professional and personal life, I eventually could no longer avoid the inevitable. I increasingly felt a sense of urgency to fulfill my true life purpose, whatever that may be. I also continued to have vivid dreams and other psychic and paranormal experiences, which I ignored to the best of my ability. Eventually, I could no longer keep up the pretense. The breakthrough came at a point in time when my life seemed to have spiraled completely out of control. I had reached the stage where I simply felt I had nothing more to lose, and I had finally also lost the will to continue the charade. It all came to a dramatic climax, when I found myself late one night searching Google for the most effective, and least messy methods of suicide... until I experienced an unforgettable metaphysical encounter, which ultimately led to a profound spiritual awakening. It may seem somewhat shocking for me to say this, but today I believe that this was the best thing that could have happen to me at that time. While I thought I was giving up on my crazy life, and throwing in the towel, what really happened was that I finally surrendered my resistance to my true self. At first, I smelled a strangely pleasant odor that I suddenly remembered very vividly from my childhood. This distinctive scent always preceded the ‘floating bubbles of light’ which I used to often see as a child. I had completely forgotten about those experiences, yet here they were again... the flickering light specks that look like ‘bundles of fireflies.' The smell they came with was like electricity, or ozone. It was not unpleasant, simply unusual. For a long time I had no way of describing it, until I bought a small air purifier a few years ago. I soon discovered that the faint smell of ozone, which is generated in small quantities by the negative ions from the purifier, was rather similar in scent. In an expanding universe, time is on the side of the outcast. Those who once inhabited the suburbs of human contempt find that without changing their address they eventually live in the metropolis. ~ Quentin Crisp Then a strangely familiar voice spoke to me telepathically . I remember it telling me to be grateful to be alive; that I live in an abundant Universe, that my life was meant to be happy and joyful, and that I had a unique purpose and a special mission to fulfill in this lifetime. I suddenly remembered where I heard that voice before! It was the voice of my ‘imaginary’ playmate ... that very same ‘angel man’ who watched over me on the playground! He was the one who spoke for the ‘others’, the one who was always there when ‘they’ came to visit. When I started working professionally a few years later, he introduced himself to me as “Jordan.” And as time passed, I discovered that his name was actually “Yarden" from the original Hebrew יַרְדֵן, meaning “the descender,” or “to flow down,” or “descending from above.” It was also revealed to me that the word Yarden consists of the Hebrew letters Yud Resh Dalet Nun, read from right to left. My jaw dropped when I uncovered the meaning of every syllable and I soon realized that "Jordan" was much more than just an individual spirit guide, or my personal guardian angel. Yarden was not a person or a singular being, he was a group of entities, a universal energy, an infinite intelligence. Yud is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means "hand." The Zohar states that the Yud represents the head of all creatures, and in the Sephrotic tree the Yud symbolizes wisdom - the stage of concealment which precedes its development into a state of expansion in understanding . Yud is the smallest letter in the alphabet, yet is frequently associated with the large concept of emanation , the highest level in the Four World paradigm of Kabbalah. Resh is the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means "beginning" or "head". Resh literally means "there is a beginning ." Dalet is the 4th letter of the alphabet and means "door" or "doorway." Nun is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means "shine, sprout, spread," According to the ancient Kabbalistic text, The Bahir, the bent Nun represents the spinal cord through which the body is fed by the brain​. Go figure. To this day I find it quite mind-boggling when I think of that incredible moment. Behind my desk, in front of the flickering screensaver on my laptop computer, intending to plan my own demise... I experienced instead a deeply significant spiritual breakthrough. I was confronted with an overwhelming and sudden awakening to my spiritual origins. I was reconnected with my inner divinity and higher self in a very powerful way. ​I still did not know what I was going to do going forward, but I finally felt free in that moment to fully acknowledge who I really was, for the first time in my life. For weeks afterwards I was like a hung-over, dazed Rip van Winkle, who had finally woken up after spending many years in a restless, feverish sleep. I was now perceiving with astonishment a sparkling, new, mystical world through the eyes of a newborn. ​​ After that fateful night, my life took a remarkable turn for the better. My daily, humdrum existence changed, in radical ways I could have never imagined. In time everything in my environment began to shape and rearrange itself around me. I experienced one synchronistic event after the other. It was as if the right people and the most perfect opportunities just flowed towards me and crossed my path in a miraculous chain of events. I received daily signs and intuitive confirmations, and at night my dreams were filled with ideas and visions of what needed to be done the next day. The confusing riddle that was my ‘dirty little psychic secret’ finally began to fall into place, and gradually my life began to transform. ​In my youth it was near impossible to find any reliable information on alternative spirituality, metaphysics, psychic phenomena and the paranormal. In those days we did not have films and television shows like The Secret , Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal or What The Bleep Do We Know? There were also no Long Island or Hollywood mediums, or any cable TV for that matter. Bear in mind that I basically grew up without television, since it was only introduced to South Africa when I was in my early teens, but I did spend a lot of time in the movies. The closest thing I had to a psychic role-model in those days was the actress Sissy Spacek in the classic Stephen King film Carrie , as well as the stereotypical gypsy fortune-tellers and their crystal balls in my dad’s old comic books. The metaphysical books I could find in the school library were on subjects like the evils of witchcraft, or how Harry Houdini became a debunker of mediumship. No wonder it took me decades to figure out what all the ‘strange things’ were that I was seeing, hearing and feeling ! Fortunately, with the dawning of the new millennium, came the TV show Crossing Over with John Edward, which brought me the final missing puzzle piece. Seeing someone whom I could actually identify with, doing this kind of work out there in public, like it was the most natural thing in the world, gave me the courage to finally come out of the psychic closet myself. Today, my quest continues to liberate others from dogma, ignorance, prejudice and fear, and inspire people to live their life by design and fulfill their true destiny. My early life experiences compel me to search for more answers, and it continues to inspire me to teach and write. The confusion and frustration I had to endure as a child, often due to ignorance, fear and intolerance, made me vow to research, learn and share as much as I could about alternative spirituality, psychic phenomena, parapsychology, the paranormal, and metaphysics. If I can spare just one sensitive child unnecessary trauma , inspire just one adult to come out of the 'psychic closet’, or save just one Indigo soul’s life from ending in tragedy , then the bewilderment I had suffered as a child would all be worth it. ​© 2017 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

Clairsomatica or psychic somatosensation is a valuable form of psychic perception that until now has been largely underestimated and misunderstood. These profound psychic 'sensations' are perceived by gifted psychics, mediums and energy healers as mental impressions and psycho-physical embodiments of touch, pressure, vibration, temperature, proprioception, pain, and various other medical symptoms and bodily sensations. The supernatural perception of physical sensations and bodily symptoms has traditionally never been adequately acknowledged as a distinct psychic phenomenon — to the extent that it did not even have an appropriate name. Instead, this remarkable psychic perception preference was mistakenly referred to either as clairtangency (psychic touch) or psychometry , or merely considered to be a ‘subtype' under the ill-conceived ‘clairsentience' umbrella . The term ‘clairtangency’ is totally inadequate in this context, as it linguistically refers to only one aspect of physical sensation, namely touch or tactile perception. Psychic sensation is however not only perceived as impressions of ‘touch,’ but also as perceptions of pain, temperature, proprioception, and pressure . Labelling all psychic sensation impressions as ‘clairtangent’ is therefore a misnomer. I have devised the more sensible psychic term of clairsomatica , to elevate this class of psychic impression from its traditional underestimation as merely being a clairsentient ‘subtype.’ The lack of an appropriate term for this type of psychic impression does the psychic abilities of some of the world’s most gifted medical mediums, energy healers, and forensic psychics a gross injustice. For this reason I have devised the more sensible psychic term of clairsomatica, to elevate this class of psychic impression from its traditional underestimation as merely being a clairsentient ‘subtype.’ The term clairsomatica distinguishes somatosensory or somatic perception from all the other psychic perception preferences . Somatic means ‘pertaining to the body.’ It derives from French somatique and directly from the Latinized form of Greek sōmatikos, ‘of the body,’ as well as from sōma or sōmatos meaning ‘the body.’ The somatosensory system in the human body involves the perception of touch, pressure, pain, temperature, position, movement, and vibration. It is spread throughout the body and consists of sensory receptors and neurons in the skin, muscle, and organs, as well as the central nervous system. Somatosensation is a mixed sensory category of physical sensations, which includes: mechanoreception (touch, pressure, vibration) thermoreception (temperature) proprioception (motion, body position) equilibrioception (balance) nociception (pain) Clairsomatica therefore encompasses all forms of psychic somatosensation typically perceived by psychics and mediums as impressions or embodiments of touch, pressure, vibration, temperature, proprioception, pain, and other bodily sensations and medical symptoms. Clairsomatic perceptions commonly experienced by clairsomatic psychics and mediums include: tickling sensations in various areas of the body, but especially the face, back, neck, and hands pressure on the crown of the head chills or goose bumps hair standing on end sensations of being touched or even pushed sudden temperature changes in rare instances sensations of physical trauma , or even ‘blows’ to the body. A haunting example of clairsomatica is reported in the case of the Stans Poltergeist in Switzerland in the 1860’s. Suddenly I felt a soft rustling of the hairs on my left temple, as if caused by a playing finger. Thinking that someone wanted to wake me, I grasped at it with my left hand and felt a soft warm little hand - I felt quite distinctly the thumb and finger. As I did, so it softly withdrew in the direction of the window, where I saw, in sharp relief against the shutters, a dark shape moving slowly backwards and forwards. [1] For awakening clairsomatics these embodied psychic sensations can be unpleasant, disconcerting, even disturbing and traumatic at times. Exceptionally gifted clairsomatics experience all manner of temperature changes, unusual aches and pains, physical discomforts, ‘creepy’ sensations, and a plethora of medical symptoms, including pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, tinnitus, and vertigo. GHOST SYMPTOMS For some this psychic preference can create challenges in their personal life, as some clairsomatics, despite being in perfect health, can ‘feel physically sick’ or experience shared ghost symptoms with a partner, close friend or relative who is suffering an actual illness or disease. Clairsomatics sometimes even experience this psychic version of an 'ailment' without being aware of the other person’s condition. One of the unpleasant ways I sometimes experience this phenomenon is when I do a reading for someone who has a cold, the flu, seasonal allergies, or is simply a heavy smoker. I have, for example, experienced burning sensations in my chest; felt congested and suddenly began to cough inexplicably; and I have even felt my eyelids and nose itching, and so on. There have been times when I would physically ‘choke up’ as I start talking to a client on the phone; or I might develop a headache; or feel intense anxiety, as I prepare to call them. I recall a funny episode when a client awkwardly apologized to me when this happened: “Sorry, I was so nervous to talk to you, I chain-smoked several cigarettes before you called!’ As a child, I frequently had distressing clairsomatic experiences. For example, I felt physically ill and extremely uncomfortable in the presence of people who were suffering from an illness. I was even hospitalized due to this on at least two occasions that I know of. The doctors’ official explanation at the time was that I suffered from some sort of ‘asthma,’ but today I know it was due to an anxiety response brought on by extreme experiences of clairsomatica. Some clairsomatics can experience shared ghost symptoms with a partner, close friend or relative who is suffering an actual illness or disease. I also vividly remember the specific clairsomatic experience that prompted me to consciously begin suppressing these unpleasant impressions. I was attending a children’s theatre performance when I was about ten years old. I was sitting a couple of seats away from a girl about my age, who I later noticed had a broken arm in a cast. It started with me feeling a numb, aching pain and an itching sensation in my right arm, which I perceived for the duration of the show, and quite some time after. Eventually my discomfort became so unbearable, I leaned forward in my seat, with my aching arm bent under my chest, in an attempt to relieve the discomfort. Then I looked over to the side and noticed a cast on the girl’s arm. I instantly experienced another clairsomatic sensation, in which I felt myself ‘falling,’ and then I clearly felt the ‘cracking’ blow to my arm. It was so vivid, it made me sit back up in shocked surprise! The incident was a very unsettling experience at a time in my life when I was old enough to realize for the first time that I could physically ‘feel’ what other people feel. I certainly did not want to have another experience like that, so I deliberately began to suppress my clairsomatic perceptions, and somehow became quite skilled at blocking it out as I grew older. These days, I am less distressed and proactive in managing these experiences, but I generally still make efforts to avoid it. Clairsomatica is something I have never fully embraced, much less attempted to further develop, despite the fact that many clients and friends have told me over the years that they experience a sense of well-being when I’m around, or that I exude some sort of ‘healing energy’ when I channel for them. It certainly explains why strangers tend to follow me around in public places and constantly gravitate towards being in my personal space. CAUSE OF DEATH In mediumship readings, I sometimes experience a more tolerable version of clairsomatica, when I perceive the deceased person’s cause of death. For example, I might feel pressure or tension in the area of my chest, which usually indicates a heart attack, or a sensation of discomfort in the lower part of my torso, which signifies a lung condition or difficulty breathing, and so on. I have also felt ‘blows’ to my body, which usually indicates some sort of accident or violent trauma. I only experience these physical causes of death in ways that are already familiar to me. In other words, I know what chest pain, or the sensation of respiratory inflammation feels like, but I do not have first-hand experiences of what it feels like to be ‘run over by a truck,’ for example. In such cases, I might perceive the information as another type of psychic impression, such as a clairvoyant vision, for example. I recently did a reading for someone whose mother had been brutally murdered several years ago. The client later explained that the perpetrator not only shot the victim, but also drove over her lifeless body with his truck. I have obviously never experienced anything like this myself, so instead of physically embodying this cause of death, I instead perceived a clairvoyant memory flash of a similar scene in the television series The Righteous Gemstones (2019), which I had been binge watching at the time. Not knowing what had happened to her mother, this unusual vision initially seemed bizarre to me, but the client instantly understood its significance. BODY PSI Parapsychology research data for clairsomatic perception is limited and traditionally focused mostly on its role in extreme psi or ‘paranormal’ phenomena, such as spirit possessions, poltergeists, and physical mediumship, as well as mental health pathology – and apparently with much skepticism. For example, physician William Hammond, an outspoken critic of spiritualism, who considers mediumship a ‘mental illness,’ argues that the psychic impressions of being ‘touched’ that some mediums attribute to spirit activity are “merely symptoms of nervous derangement of some kind.” [2] Parapsychologist Christine Hardy however confirms data from spontaneous cases and informal investigations suggest that psi information is indeed sometimes ‘felt’ by the receiver. She calls it a tele-empathicsensation that matches the sender's experience. According to Hardy, this concept of ‘body-psi’ has been formally explored in experiments (such as remote staring), to demonstrate the autonomic system reacts to unconscious psi information. [3] Parapsychologist Dean Radin reports psychophysiology has become increasingly important in the study of various psychic phenomena. Psychophysiology studies mind-body interaction using empirical techniques to identify correlations between inner, subjective experience and objective, measurable bodily responses, such as that of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Radin says this approach provides objective ways to probe the unconscious mind, which is where psychic information is thought to first arise. [4] Such impressions, operating below the level of conscious awareness, can manifest as subtle changes in the body and may be noticed in the form of chills, stomach clenching or other visceral sensations, heart palpitations, and the presence of goose bumps .[ 5] Radin concludes that studying these types of psi phenomena are challenging, but that it is viable and that there is a growing interest in this research approach in both psychology and the neurosciences. Detection of unconscious influences in bodily reactions does not provide the same type or level of detail that is available to conscious awareness. But it does provide a way to explore mental activity that is otherwise not available. Using such techniques, telepathy has been explored by looking for correlations in brain activity between pairs of isolated or distant friends. Clairvoyance and precognition have been studied by measuring changes in brain activity, heart rate, skin conductance, and pupil dilation when a person accurately versus inaccurately describes targets distant in space or time. Precognition has been studied by measuring physiological responses before being exposed to unpredictable stimuli. [6] POLTERGEIST SOMATICA Clairsomatic symptoms have interestingly been found to have an inverse relationship with poltergeist activity, which modern researchers argue might be evidence of alterations in the psychophysiology of the so-called poltergeist ‘agent.’ A poltergeist is traditionally believed to be a mischievous ghost or a supernatural being that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as making loud noises and moving objects. The German term poltergeist literally means ‘noisy spirit,’ from poltern ‘make noise, rattle’ and geist ‘ghost.’ The modern hypothesis for poltergeist phenomena is however that it is due to psychokinetic influence by a living ‘agent,’ instead of it being a spirit haunting. Poltergeist phenomena are typically linked to a specific living person, and it usually only happens in the presence of that person. [7] Parapsychologist William Roll finds that when an agent exhibits certain psycho-physical symptoms , the poltergeist phenomena often tend to calm down, or even subside completely. Roll identified this oddity in at least three poltergeist cases he investigated. For example, in one case the paranormal activity subsided after the agent had suffered a bout of epileptic seizures that required hospitalization, and only resumed again once he was treated for it. [8] In another case the poltergeist activity abated when the agent suffered migraine headaches and vomiting episodes, and only flared up again once she had received treatment for these symptoms. [9] PSYCHIC HYGIENE I find the above poltergeist discovery intriguing in the context of my own psychic practice. I believe psychic channeling, mediumship, and energy healing are a calling, and that regularly practicing these gifts or abilities enhances the health and well-being of the practitioner. In fact, I find it odd when other psychics, mediums, and healers complain about constantly ‘feeling drained’ due to the energy demands of their work. For me, the experience is quite the opposite. I find psychic channeling rather energizes me and improves my health and well-being (unless I really overdo it by working too much). It is in fact when I am not working for lengthy periods of time that my health and well-being begins to suffer. I therefore compare psychic work to ‘going to the gym,’ or ‘donating blood.’ It promotes the psychic or medium’s health and well-being. I believe psychic channeling improves auric integrity and balances the flow of chi (universal life force) in the psychic, medium, or healer’s energy field. Psychics and mediums are ‘wired’ to channel or read, and if we do not do it on a regular basis, both our mental and physical health and wellness begin to suffer. In fact, I consider it a functional spiritual necessity, or even a kind of ‘metaphysical hygiene.’ Frequent psychic channeling improves auric integrity and balances the flow of chi (universal life force) in the psychic, medium, or healer’s energy field. I further suspect this may be an underlying cause of mental and physical health problems for many spiritually ‘gifted’ people, especially those who are lazy and negligent, in denial, or simply resistant to their metaphysical abilities. I know of a few colleagues who experienced a marked improvement in their health and well-being once they embraced their gifts and abilities, overcame their hesitance, or resolved their lack of self-trust and self-worth and began to consistently practice psychic, mediumship, or energy healing work. I further believe science might discover new avenues of understanding should it begin to approach psychic phenomena more often from a premise of it being adaptive, rehabilitative, purposeful, healing, or even divinely ordained — instead of attributing it to psychosomatic neuroses, psychopathology, or neurological malfunction. CRISIS SOMATICA Similar to clairempathic phenomena, clairsomatica is also reported in cases of crisis impression, where subjects experience ‘shared illness’ or ‘dying symptoms’ at the time of the crisis. For example, a man whose father was dying was awakened at the exact time of his passing by intense feelings of ‘suffocation,’ while his father was in fact drawing his final breaths in a distant location. I remember grabbing my mouth, forcing it open to help me breathe. I was fighting for all I was worth, but the pains were now unbearable . [ 10] Author Paul Hawker reports the case of a woman who was awakened one night by the sound of her ‘heart breaking.’ I know it sounds really odd, but that's what it was. I heard it crack and felt my chest sort of splitting. The next day, while driving to work, she suddenly felt a sensation of 'pressure' on the side of her face. I distinctly remember the pressure was that of a cheek lightly pressed against mine, sort of cuddling me. The feeling I was filled with at this time was one of love and support — it felt fine. I then felt a hand holding my hand and 'felt' it had no middle finger. I knew this because there was no pressure in this area. And then it dawned on me. I realized it was my dad's hand; he'd lost his middle finger in a building site accident. [11] Later that day, her husband informed her that her father had passed away during the night from a heart attack. PSYCHOKINETIC SOMATICA Clairsomatica has also been documented in a successful series of psychokinesis experiments conducted from 2013 to 2015 in an Argentinian laboratory with a factory worker named Ariel Farias, who had the ability to raise a table’s legs off the floor by simply placing his hands on it. What makes this study notable in terms of clairsomatica is that Farias reported ‘feeling a sensation of heat’ in his hands whenever he was able to lift the table. However, temperature measurements showed his hands and forearms were in fact cold while he was performing telekinesis, leading researchers to conclude that the experience of heat in his hands is a purely subjective sensation. [12] Farias also reported feeling as if he was ‘merging with the table’ during successful trials. The very moment the table began to move, he felt sensations similar to those felt by an airline passenger when the plane takes off. He also said that when the table leg rises, it’s ‘similar to when you put on your shoes; at the beginning you feel the difference between bare and covered skin, but in a few seconds, you forget this difference and begin to feel the shoes as a part of you.’ He also described the inverse sensation (removing one’s shoes) when the force disappears, and the table leg falls down to the floor. [13] MIRROR-SYNESTHESIA Scientific evidence for clairsomatica has further been documented in studies of a special form of synesthesia known as mirror-synesthesia or pain synesthesia. Mirror-synesthetes feel a matching sensation in the same part of their body as another person. Seeing someone else being pinched on the cheek, for example, would cause the mirror-synesthete to feel a similar sensation in their own cheek. These studies not only provide unmistakable evidence for the existence of this type of synesthesia, [14] but also that it is not merely a form of vicarious empathy [15] and that it correlates with increased levels of emotional empathy. [16] Neurologist and researcher Joel Salinas estimates about 1.5% of the general population experiences this phenomenon, which he describes as a neurological trait , instead of it being a ‘disorder.’ Salinas, known as ‘the doctor who can feel your pain,’ is himself a mirror-synesthete. He says it enables him to feel the emotional and physical experiences of his patients. He describes it as a ‘heightened empathic ability’ that offers him invaluable clues about how to see life from other people’s perspective. [17] Just walking around every day, I feel strangers hurting, and I feel it so thoroughly and completely ~ Megan Pohlman Journalist Erika Hayasaki reports the case of mirror-synesthete Carolyn Hart who wanted to become a physical therapist, but the pain and discomfort she would have to constantly share with her patients would have been too much for her to tolerate, so she became a massage therapist instead. Hart describes her “most flagrant mirror-sensorial perception” as “pain shooting down my legs when I see other people’s wounds and injuries.” When she sees another person being touched, she experiences ‘a gentle perception that tickles her skin.’ She also perceives similar sensations whenever she sees another person being bumped or shoved. But, if the contact becomes more aggressive, for example if I witness a person body-slammed, then I don’t feel that ticklish exteroceptive sensation. Instead, I will feel what I call synesthesia-for-pain…which feels like bolts of electricity coursing down the back of my legs. [18] Synesthete Maureen Seaberg describes the similar case of Megan Pohlman, a pediatric nurse who literally feels the pain of her young patients. Pohlman says, “just walking around every day, I feel strangers hurting, and I feel it so thoroughly and completely.” Allan Doctor, a pediatric intensive care physician who has worked with Pohlmann for many years, says her abilities are indeed remarkable. For example, nurses often ask for additional pain medicine or sedation when a child has high blood pressure or heart rate, which then prompts him to investigate whether the cause is, in fact, pain, or something else, like a fever. “Megan’s reliability in sensing when they really are in pain or anxious, versus other causes, is unusually acute.” [19] Excerpt from The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception . © 2022 Anthon St. Maarten REFERENCES [1] Joller, M. (2015). Stans (Switzerland) Poltergeist. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [2] Hammond, W.A. (1876). Spiritualism And Allied Causes And Conditions Of Nervous Derangement. G.P. Putnam’s. [3] Hardy, C. (2000) Psi As A Multilevel Process: Semantic Fields Theory. The Journal of Parapsychology. [4] Carpenter, J. (2012). First Sight: ESP And Parapsychology In Everyday Life. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. [5] Beloff J. & Rhine, J. B. (1981). On The Nature Of Psi. Journal of Parapsychology. [6] Radin, D. (2016). Presentiment. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [7] Williams, B. (2019). Psychological Aspects In Poltergeist Cases. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [8] Solfvin, G. F. & Roll, W. G. (1976). A Case Of RSPK With An Epileptic Agent. Parapsychology Review. [9] Roll, W. G. & Tringale, S. (1983). A Haunting-Type RSPK Case In New England. Research in Parapsychology. Scarecrow Press. [10] Fenwick, P & Fenwick, E. (2008). The Art of Dying. Bloomsbury Academic. [11] Hawker, P. (2000). Secret Affairs Of The Soul: Ordinary People's Extraordinary Experiences Of The Sacred. Wood Lake Publishing Inc. [12] Braude, S. E (2018). Ariel Farias. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research. [13] Gimeno, J. & Burgo, D. (2017). Laboratory Research On A Presumably PK-Gifted Subject. Journal Of Scientific Exploration. [14] Ward J. & Banissy M.J. (2015). Explaining Mirror-Touch Synesthesia. Cognitive Neuroscience. [15] Rothen N. & Meier B. (2013). Why Vicarious Experience Is Not An Instance Of Synesthesia. Frontiers In Human Neuroscience. [16] Ward, J. et.al. (2018) The Relationship Between Mirror-Touch Synaesthesia And Empathy: New Evidence And A New Screening Tool. Cognitive Neuropsychology. [17] Salinas, J. (2017). Mirror Touch: Notes from a Doctor Who Can Feel Your Pain. HarperOne. [18] Hart, C.C. (2017) Reflecting on Mirror-Touch. Carolyncchart.com [19] Seaberg, M. (2018). Meet the Nurse Whose Superpower Is Feeling Your Pain – Literally. Glamour.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

The prophets, the gurus, the philosophers and all of their disciples may have been on to something all along. Like it or not, it appears each and every one of us is required to become a mystic, a god in our own way. And we do have that responsibility towards our fellow man. It is no longer only about ourselves. If you and I truly want to survive and have a better quality of life, we are going to have to jump on to the spiritual bandwagon. ​It is easier than you may think. To kick-start a more brilliant future we simply need to acknowledge the fact that we are more psychic than physical. Now take a deep breath and relax - nobody said anything about getting togged up in saffron robes. Neither did I suggest pagan rituals or flying to Africa to adopt an orphan. Only you can own your inner power and u nlock your spiritual potential for a brighter future. No robes, rituals, or exotic pilgrimages required. All that is needed, is for you and me to find a way to help push the evolution of man forward and truly make the world a better place. We are the masters, the creators of our own reality. You and I are, in fact, potential gods. If you are at this point considering burning me at the stake or at the very least making a phone call to your pastor, rest assured, it is not my intention to slate anyone’s religion. If your current belief system can assist you in making the evolutionary leap with the rest of us, please be my guest. However, if a few guilty prayers or Tarot readings every other weekend is your idea of being spiritual, we are going to have to leave you behind when the ‘rapture’ occurs. Furthermore, if your religious convictions require or, even worse, encourage you to be biased, rigid, bigoted, authoritarian, prejudiced, dictatorial, intolerant, narrow-minded, dogmatic, blinkered or cruel, I beg you on behalf of all of humanity to kindly reconsider! A few of us may think that we prefer our modern status as absolute individuals or religious fundamentalists. Some of us may continue to believe that acquiring more material possessions, business success, political achievement, sensual satisfaction or fame is the true path to enlightenment. ​​Others trust that the day we finally meet the boy-next-door will make it all seem worthwhile. But deep-down most of us have come to realize the disturbing truth. Spirituality is a necessity, not a luxury. It provides a framework for moral and ethical guidance, a source of comfort during challenging times, and a sense of community and belonging. Many philosophical and religious traditions emphasize the importance of spiritual awareness as a pathway to fulfillment and purpose in life. Critical Spiritual Mass If you remain skeptical, let me ask you this. If your life thus far has been so meaningful and remarkable, why are you feeling so lost, bored and disillusioned? If having all this personal freedom is so phenomenal, why are we feeling so frustrated and jaded? If family, friends or love-for-the-weekend is all we need, then why are we so disconnected and isolated – why are we so lonely? If dogmatic religion is the only true answer, why are we still killing or starving each other to prove that my god is better than thine? And, by the way, have you had a good, solid look at the state of your tap water recently? Fact is, we need to reach a critical spiritual mass as soon as possible. It appears to be the only answer. Nothing else seems to have worked very well thus far. Corporations and media moguls have become our false prophets . Technology and trade our false idols. Sedated Souls & False Idols The problem is that our innate fear of the unknown and our inability to think out-of-the-box makes us cling to the past and the familiar and the predictable. We continuously recycle old ideas and outdated commandments to solve our present day problems. Too many of us remain stuck in the age of Humanic Man. We continue to search for the answers by applying reason, exerting control, following regimens or establishing rigid rules and regulations. Many of our artists, philosophers, innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs have been swept away by the tyranny of linear thinking, the mass media and materialistic pursuit. We continue to wage wars, and in spite of everything we have suffered there are yet more rumors of wars – across borders and in our streets. Corporations and media moguls have become our false prophets. Technology and trade our false idols. Meanwhile, our imagination-deprived children are increasingly being medicated or incarcerated to sedate the soul and suppress the spirit. If you so wish, please go ahead... explain to me how all of this is working for us? Obviously, most of us feel no urgent need or desire to save the world, or for that matter, the noisy people living next door. But one thing is sure, if we are to have any chance at improving our quality of life and find ultimate peace of mind, you and I are going to have to make several significant changes to our culture and our society. Merely maintaining the status quo is just not going to cut it. © 2010 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty sick of modern society as we know it and I want things to be different. There must be a better way, right? We have finally evolved ourselves into a culture of self-inflicted misery based on a cynical approach to life. We need a new direction. We desperately need a global spiritual awakening, a divine revolution, a mystical uprising. ​ The only other alternative seems to be a major natural disaster beyond our wildest expectations, something catastrophic which will force us to look at each other differently and move towards solidarity. For many centuries we have tried and tested a variety of political systems. All of them have failed dismally. The small groups of people who lead our nations remain incapable of sticking to ideals for the greater good. If only more of us were better equipped to hear the call of our inner voice , we may eventually have no further need for secular authority. ​ Eventually they always end up furthering selfish secular interests at the expense of others - and we don’t often see anyone complaining about this. If only more of us were better equipped to access the collective unconscious and hear the call of our inner voice, we may eventually have no further need for secular authority. Our natural resources are being depleted and our civic consciousness has become eroded. If only more of us accepted that everything around us belongs to all of us, would we not cease to compete for the rightful resources we simply need to share? Neither is there a need for crime, unemployment and a loop-holed legal system. If I simply accept that I am my brother’s keeper, why should anyone have to suffer? Hendrik van Loont​ wrote, "The world is in dreadful need of men who will assume the new leadership – who will have the courage of their own visions and who will recognise clearly that we are only at the beginning of the voyage, and have to learn an entirely new system of seamanship." © 2010 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.

Our world seems to be in political, cultural, and environmental chaos. But we are also living in great times! We are witnessing the dawn of a new age of conscious evolution that has the long-term potential to completely transform humanity and the world as we know it. Yes, the world has gone a little crazy. But there is method in the madness. The "mess" we have made is part of our evolutionary process. We did not get here by accident. It's all part of a divine plan, an evolutionary blueprint. Philosopher Gerald Heard recognized this fact decades ago when he speculated in his 1964 book The Five Ages of Humanity on the evolutionary growth of our cultural consciousness and the psychological makeup of modern man. He proposed that in prehistoric times we were largely primitive and content with our daily existence. We were essentially 'pre-individual' and 'co-conscious.' There was little awareness of "me, myself, and I." And because of our ancestors' pre-individual state of mind, they lived together in perfect harmony...most of the time! While our world seems to be in political, cultural and environmental chaos, we are also living in great times Of course, the state of 'pre-individuality' became very dull and boring after a while. The humdrum existence of Co-Conscious Man must have been remarkably uninspiring, with everyone thinking the same way and no new ideas coming to the fore. Over time, the need for adventure, exploration, and novelty grew, paving the way for the emergence of Heroic Man. We began to strive for more. To be bigger, better, stronger. But all the conquests and victories of the heroic period brought us very little satisfaction, because our mental capacity meanwhile increased and our consciousness shifted from outer adventure to inner discovery. Humanity had reached adolescence. As expected, the world then increasingly became a very confusing place. We needed answers, we needed guidance, and we needed belief systems and moral values. Thus, Ascetic Man emerged and created the world's great religions. But in the name of our religions, we also destroyed many of our fellow human beings in order to promote or protect what we had come to believe. As an unwelcome bonus to this newfound sense of higher purpose, we thus inherited a great deal of guilt, shame, and further confusion. The Age of Indigo Man is the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. It is the advent of a new age of conscious evolution Then Humanic Man came to the rescue with the arts and sciences. The individual escaped the confines of the collective tribe. We pursued logic, rational analysis, and the subjugation of the subconscious. The collective unconscious became increasingly dismissed, and humanity's spiritual interconnectedness began to suffer. Meanwhile, we moved on to increasingly destroying our environment and initiating the potential collapse of our natural resources. According to Heard, we are now living in the age of Leptoid Man, or as I prefer to call it, the Age of Indigo Man. While our world seems to be in political, cultural and environmental chaos, I believe we are actually living in great times! What we are currently witnessing is simply growing pains or an initial 'new world disorder.' The Age of Indigo Man marks the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. It is the advent of a new age of conscious evolution as proposed by the late Barbara Marx Hubbard and other thought leaders such as Deepak Chopra, Ervin Laszlo, Jean Houston, Barbara Brennan and Ken Wilber. The idea of conscious evolution is rooted in the understanding that humanity has reached the capacity to intentionally guide its own evolution. It emphasizes the role of global human consciousness and personal awareness in shaping the future of both the individual and the co-created collective. Key principles associated with this concept include: Awakening Consciousness We are living in a time of gradual global awakening to a higher level of consciousness. There is a shift in perspective and awareness that is allowing a growing number of people around the world to awaken to the fact that we are all an integral part of a larger, interconnected whole. Collective Co-Creation We are all active participants in the process of creating our collective reality and future. We have a co-creative relationship with the unfolding of evolution, in which we direct our personal growth and spiritual expansion, as well as contribute to global evolution and the expansion of the universe. Personal Responsibility Conscious evolution automatically implies personal responsibility for our personal growth, spiritual expansion, and highest good. It implies a commitment to self-awareness, accountability, and self-mastery, as well as a meaningful contribution to the broader evolutionary process and greater good. Emergent Spirituality A global awakening to higher consciousness is leading more and more of us to explore our connection to a greater purpose and our true spiritual origins. There is a growing shift away from a materialistic worldview to one that embraces a deeper, more spiritual understanding of life. Positive Visioning Conscious evolution is encouraging more of us to envision a more positive, hopeful future. Spiritually awakened people around the world are increasingly cultivating a new vision for our world that is more peaceful, harmonious, and sustainable, where all living beings and the planet can thrive. Collaborative Action Conscious evolution is not only a philosophical or spiritual concept, but also a call to action. It encourages us to come together and collaborate on projects and initiatives that contribute to the positive evolution of humanity and the protection of our planet. Joining our minds, hands and hearts is the only way to effectively address the global challenges we face today. Evolutionary Leadership We need to pursue and promote a new form of leadership rooted in a solid understanding of conscious evolution. We must elect and follow evolutionary leaders who inspire and guide others toward positive and transformative change. The time has come to reclaim our transcendental values — even if we cannot yet prove them all scientifically! We must recognize the urgent need for all of us to leap into a much broader and higher level of consciousness. We have reached a new stage in our evolution and we must either accept personal and spiritual responsibility, or face global catastrophe. This is our ancestral and karmic legacy and our only true destiny. © 2010 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.

Do you increasingly feel that your life has no meaning? Has God gone blind or deaf? Why are we so disconnected? Why are we so lonely, bored, tired, frustrated? Why is our society and environment in such disarray? The misery of modern existence is not just your imagination. There is no melodrama in what many of us perceive as a world gone mad. But you may also be surprised to learn that our predicament is not as bad as it seems. Our existential chaos is not the work of a wrathful God. Humanity may seem to be headed for catastrophe one way or another, but we are actually headed for a brighter day — as long as we have people like you and me on board. The most pessimistic among us may anticipate calamity or utter ruin of biblical proportions. Our future on earth does seem destined for disaster. Depending on your background or religious beliefs, you may even see this as an undeniable fact. It is reasonable to be somewhat uneasy about our future, but there is no need to be overly concerned. How can this be? Well, because many of us have made a simple choice, a life-changing decision. And now it is your turn. Only you can awaken your inner divinity to emerge as a titan of spiritual enlightenment. You can continue to chase your own tail in the world economic circus to earn more, own more, control more, fear more, and destroy more. You can drown yourself in information overload or choose to lounge around in la-la land - drugs, sex, television, dogmatic religion. You can continue to hop from relationship to relationship, repeatedly change careers, move from country to country, or adopt several different religions. These are all very worthwhile pursuits, even if they don't bring you lasting peace or fulfillment. On the other hand, you can immerse yourself in our true collective destiny. You can awaken your inner divinity to emerge as a titan of spiritual enlightenment. You can save yourself and you can save me. You can help to save us all. Yes, you. Our fate does not depend solely on government officials, activists, billionaires, church leaders, or social media influencers. The future also depends on you too. It is time to awaken. Our future is in your hands. It may come as a surprise, but many people now know that the quality of our lives is entirely up to us. Yes, we create our own reality. And those who know this also realize that we have a divine duty to change our ways and the world we live in for the better. When you know this, you also know that the solution is simple. Each of us has a job to do, a duty to ourselves, to others, and to the planet. The daily foundation of your life should be your spiritual awareness. It is not about making more money, having more children, or chaining ourselves to endangered trees (although you are welcome to keep up the good work). If we are to have any chance of making life on this planet joyful, peaceful and deeply meaningful, for ourselves as well as future generations, we must expand ourselves spiritually. There, I said it. The S-word! Spirituality should become the daily foundation of your life, if it is not already. Finding your soul purpose in a chaotic world is vital. I speak from experience because I deal with this truth every day in my work with people around the world. Should you choose to embrace your spiritual path, you will have the power to change far more than just yourself, your community, or your nation. You have within you the potential to help change our species for the better. Now, becoming more spiritual in this 'insane asylum' we used to call Mother Earth is easier said than done. Many of us simply have no idea how to go about it. And if we do, will it really make a difference? This is what I hope to reveal to you in my books, blog posts and channeled readings: your inner divinity, your true destiny and the real meaning of your life, and how to finally grab hold of your soul plan and life purpose to make a real, lasting difference and start living your best life! © 2010 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.

Did you know that we sometimes dream the future? Ever had that nagging feeling that you have seen, or experienced, an event or situation before? I experience this phenomenon on a regular basis, and I also use the content of these lucid dreams with great success in my work. Sometimes I have dreams about significant future events, and I also experience dreams focusing on important issues in the lives of my clients. Of course, it is very useful when I am doing a psychic reading for you and I had a dream about you two nights ago! Over the years I have learned to distinguish between normal dreams and psychic dreams. In my late teens, I was fortunate to discover the book, An Experiment with Time by J W Dunne , and this helped me a great deal in understanding and mastering the prophetic nature of my dreams. Psychic dreams differ from our usual psychological dreams. Normal dreams are simply an opportunity for our subconscious mind to process the events of the day, or an attempt to resolve issues or concerns we currently face in our lives. Normal dreams are about the past and present, while psychic dreams focus on the future. Dreams are nature’s answering service – don’t forget to pick up your messages once in a while. ~ Sarah Crestinn Psychic dreams, however, are prophetic in nature. These special dreams offer us actual glimpses into future events and outcomes. Not only do we dream about the future, I also believe that we generate or create our future while we are in the dream state. I also believe that some of the events we shape during these dreams are what we later experience as moments of déjà vu. So, how do you know you had a psychic or lucid dream? The experience seems to be different for everyone. My psychic dreams are usually very vivid and colorful, almost like watching film footage or a news clip on television. I also hear sounds or voices very clearly (or not at all), and I often see symbols that have a specific personal meaning or significance for me. I typically have these dreams as I drift off into sleep, or just before I wake up in the morning. Many of my precognitive dreams occur a couple of days before the actual event, but some arrive months, or even years in advance. The best way to explore your dreams, and gain greater access to its prophetic content, is too start keeping a dream journal or diary. I live with a notepad next to my bed, and every morning I record everything I can remember about the previous night’s dreams. A good place to start is to recall the last thing you saw or felt, just before you woke up. Be patient, it won’t come without some effort at first, but over time, and with frequent practice, it will become easier. Review your notes from time to time. You will be surprised at how much of what you dream actually does come true later. ​ The precognitive dreams I have range from the intensely serious, to the completely bizarre . Although I have become used to having these dreams, and accept them as a natural part of my day, I am sometimes surprised, or even confused by them. Some of my dreams are of national or international significance. Several months ago, for instance, I had a recurring dream about a man and child digging up old bones in my backyard? They were so excited about each one they found! I was totally perplexed, until I heard that one of the most significant anthropological discoveries to date had been made, by an American professor who works here at a local university. They were out for a walk, and his son was the first to discover some of the fossils of a new hominid species, which lived almost two million years ago. This happened at the Cradle of Mankind in the Magaliesburg, which is not too far from where I live in Pretoria, South Africa. A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read. ~ The Talmud ​ More recently, I had a strange dream about a man speaking under a red flag. His voice gradually faded out. The more he tried to speak, the less one could hear him. I had no idea what it meant at the time. The only sense I could make of it was that it was something symbolic about Hitler or Nazi Germany? I should have connected the dots, based on what was revealed later. Soon after I was busy reading for a client (she is a journalist), when I suddenly decided to end the consultation. I told her to switch on her mobile phone. I sensed that she was about to receive an urgent phone call and advised her to return to her office. Her phone started ringing as she got into her car. Later, she told me that a prominent right-wing political figure in our country had been brutally murdered in his home. The well-known emblem of his organization is a black and white symbol on a red flag. ​Then, on a much lighter note, in 1998 I dreamed that a blonde woman from South Africa would win a big prize in the USA, due to the fact that she was a prostitute and a serial killer! My family and friends thought I had finally gone down the rabbit hole…to be honest, I had my own doubts too! Of course, I had a good laugh many years later, when Charlize Theron hit the mark in 2004, by winning the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the film, Monster . ​ Another anecdote is the charming lady who once sent me a request for an reading. I had a very odd dream the night before, which later proved to be quite funny. In her letter this client apologized profusely for all her spelling and typing errors. Apparently she had trouble seeing what she was typing. In my response I asked her why she was wearing her glasses on her head , since she needed them to read and write? The return email simply stated: “Thanks honey, I have been looking for them all day!” © 2010 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.